Black Lagoon: The Final Hunt
by Ricknarok
Summary: After a year of constant bloodshed, Lagoon Company want nothing more to do with Roanapur's plights and wish to simply return to normal. But the recent events have made that almost impossible as the city and its leaders have finally attracted the worst enemy yet to cross their border, one that will stop at nothing to wipe out Roanapur... 'Book 3 of the "City of Ashes" Trilogy.'
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Welcome Calm

Bao looked on in disgust as Lagoon Company entered the recently-repaired Yellowflag. He was less than enthusiastic about their appearance considering they were responsible for much of the destruction the establishment had seen in the past. Truth be told, he was praying someone would open another bar nearby for them to go to. But he would not refuse them, either. Their business would certainly help him get back on his feet. Not that he really needed it, though. Three months ago, shortly after the Black Marchers had been defeated, Bao received an anonymous payment of five-million dollars. All that was written on the note attached to the crate of cash was ' _Regards, the Formation.'_ Though nobody had any idea who they were, Revy had a theory they were Ulysses's old group, going by an actual name now that they had established themselves in the criminal underworld. Rock was the only member of Lagoon not present. He told the others that he would join them later, though what exactly he was doing was something he had not deigned to share with them. They took a seat at the bar and ordered their drinks, eager to relax. Roanapur had seen the better part of these last few months under extensive repairs. The many crime lords and cartels that made their homes here had done all they could to re-establish themselves as prime organisations in the criminal underworld. It was an understatement to say that the invasion of the city had had an incredibly negative effect on the city's many illegal dealings. Even now, things were slow. Only time would tell if Roanapur would ever return to normal. That idea seemed more and more like a pipe dream every day.

"Goddamn," Dutch moaned before knocking back his beer and gesturing to a disgruntled Bao that he wanted a refill. "What a long fucking day."

"You said it, Dutch," Revy agreed, sipping at her rum. Benny lit a cigarette and slipped it into his mouth, taking a long, well-needed drag and exhaling a stream of smoke.

"We ought to leave the damn city," he told them. "For a while, at least. Might give us the break we've been dreaming of."

"Nothing for us out there, Benny-Boy," Dutch told him. "I'm afraid we're stuck with this shithole for the foreseeable future."

"Great," Revy groaned sarcastically. "Just what I wanted to hear."

"You've been putting up with it for years now," Dutch reminded her, taking another drink. "What changed?" She did not answer. They remained silent for a few minutes. Rock finally entered the bar, the trench coat he was so fond of draped over his shoulders. He almost resembled Balalaika. He strode up to the bar and planted himself on the stool between Dutch and Revy.

"Jeez, what did I miss?" he asked, noticing their glum expressions. He gestured to Bao, ordering a rum just like Revy. The two of them often competed to see who could keep drinking the longest. It was quite humorous, to say the least, considering both of them had a fairly equal tolerance and they ended up getting heavily drunk at an alarming rate.

"You think you got the balls, Rock?" Revy asked him, pointing to his drink. As always, she was confident as ever that she would drink him under the table. He removed his tie and coat, took his drink in his hand and clinked it against hers.

"Try and keep up, Revy!"

"Christ on a bike, you know I can outdrink you both," a familiar voice came from the door. Bao looked even less pleased at the sudden appearance of Wolf, who drank at the newly opened bar more often than most in the city. If he was at the Yellowflag more often, Bao would have considered him an alcoholic.

"How's the new apartment treating ya?" Dutch asked, turning to face Wolf. The assassin had bought his own place two months ago, seeing as how he was going to be here for a while. There had been no threats to the city, nor had it seen any unrest over the last while. That was the initial reason the assassin had decided to stay. Now, it was more a situation of comfort and attachment. He was better suited to this place than a lot of the would-be criminals that attempted to make a name for themselves here. It was safe to say he would be here for a while longer.

"Warm as fuck," Wolf answered crudely.

"How'd you even manage to get the place?" Benny asked.

"Well, when the owner is in debt to the wrong people and he's considering fleeing the country, a bag of half a million dollars is quite the bargaining chip. It's not the most glamourous apartment in the world, but it has a bed and a toilet. The basics, you know?"

"Grab a glass, then," Revy challenged him. "Let's see how long you can go before your eyes start bleeding pure alcohol!" Dutch chuckled before downing his own beer once more.

"You sure you want to go toe-to-toe with them?" he asked. "I've seen them drink. Competitively. It's not a pretty sight."

"I grew up in Ireland, man," Wolf assured him. "The fucking culture revolves around drinking. I was shitfaced for the first time when I was fifteen." The others all turned to glare at him. "That doesn't make me come off so good," he muttered before clearing his throat awkwardly and ordering a glass of rum.

"Is this what we can expect every time we come here?" Benny asked quietly as the three avid drinkers attempted so passionately to drink one another under the table.

"I imagine so," Dutch told him. "It's been a long year, Benny. Remember when we were bored of sitting on our asses? We just wanted to work."

"Now look at us," Benny grumbled. "Afraid that the next job will burn the fucking city down."

"Exactly. We might as well get used to this, my man. We may not be able to enjoy it someday."

"Jesus, that's a grim thought." Dutch smirked as he sipped his drink.

"Yeah, I suppose it is. World's changing, Benny. Who knows where we'll be in ten years?"

"Living it up in a penthouse with our millions, I hope," Benny joked as he stood and stretched his legs. Truly, Lagoon Company had never been through such a rigorous attitude adjustment before. They actually longed for the good old days when they didn't have to worry about Roanapur's next enemy. But that was a trivial problem not worth getting bent out of shape about. Tonight, they likely had three drunks to look after. The walk home would not be pretty.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Rise of a Crime Lord

"Mister Okajima, I can promise you that what I offer is much better than what you'll find anywhere else," the grizzled old man said in his gravelly voice. Rock sat nervously in his chair, though he attempted to exude confidence as much as possible. Major Landis was a scary man, one who, at this moment, had eight heavily armed men behind him. Rock was lucky to even be here today. The only reason Landis accepted him was because he had money to spend.

"Everything I've asked for?" Rock reiterated. "Full detail, day and night, along with private chauffeuring services whenever I need?"

"As long as you pay what I ask, you can host orgies with these men if you so please," Landis assured him. "Two men, day and night. They will not speak or act out unless there is reason to do so. Your chauffeur will be accompanied by a Mister Fox, I should tell you. He's an eccentric man but one I'm sure you'll get to know well. I don't take personal calls myself, I'm sure you understand. If you ever need anything, he'll be the one picking up the phone." That sounded perfect. Rock had had this festering thought within him for a few weeks now. Only this morning had he decided to do something about it. Major Landis was not easy to find, seeing as how he was allegedly a former soldier in the United States military now in charge of a sprawling private security division with footholds in many of the world's cities. Rock dropped the duffle bag between them. That was one-million dollars he would never see again, but money he was sure was well-spent.

"For twelve months?" he asked.

"Ten," Landis corrected him. "My people will need some vacation time after their service, you understand. Your security detail will join you in the car outside. From there, you can do as you please with them." Rock rose, then, and offered his thanks before leaving. The door of a black Mercedes flung open as he exited the dilapidated apartment. The man inside wore a knee-length suede jacket with a fur collar. A matching brown fedora covered his balding head and sunglasses hid his eyes from view. The eccentric Mister Fox, Rock assumed.

"You must be the infamous Rock I've heard so much about," he called as the Japanese man entered the back of the car to join Fox. Two men in suits and sunglasses took their seats in the front and the car took off. This seemed like a worthwhile investment more and more by the second. Despite his worries that the others would not approve, Rock enjoyed the moment. He would not let his concerns ruin this.

"You must be Fox," Rock said. He wasn't sure if he should shake the man's hand or not, seeing as how he was sort of his boss for the next ten months. Landis made it clear that no two people made use of his services during the same time. Rock had these men and their abilities all to himself.

"Indeed, I am," Fox said gleefully as he extended his hand. Rock took it politely before relaxing in his seat. Though this man was what some would call jolly, his voice was domineering and there was a sense of seriousness about him. He was not as innocently eccentric as he was making out. But he was under Rock's command. "So, you're the poor sap who'll be making use of my services for the next while."

"Y-yes, I am," Rock confirmed. "I was in need of security. And, well…your boss seemed like the best option. He wouldn't even agree to see me unless I could bring one-million American dollars in cash."

"Ah, yes, that's the Major. The price of highly trained security is going up, I'm afraid. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but we're actually fairly reasonably priced. There are some out there who would charge twice as much for half as long. And you wouldn't even have their undivided attention. For the next ten months, you're the only one who gets to call me up when you're in a pickle." Fox was more than eccentric, he was downright weird. Only time would tell if he would ever show his true, dark colours. Rock longed to see what this man was capable of seeing as how the façade he was putting up was so obviously exaggerated. "If you don't mind me prying, what does someone like you need with security? Our information told us you were with Lagoon Company." Rock had asked himself that before. He was still figuring it out in his head. But he had a fair idea.

"You can never be too careful," he bluffed sloppily. Fox did not react.

"Try again," he persisted with a sickening smile. His voice was like butter, smooth and hypnotic. Were he less pudgy and more muscular, he would be a formidable ally, versed in fighting with both words and fists. Rock gave in.

"I'm…I don't know, I guess I'm making my place," he began, uncertain of where exactly he was going with this. "This world is one that has eluded and beaten me for so long. I've long thought it's been time for me to step up. To finally find my place in…"

"…the criminal underworld," Fox finished, brokering a timid nod from Rock. "You want to be Mister Chang, is that it?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that-!"

"Let me tell you, kid, if you go into this with the intention of being the next Mister Mafia or Madam Stabby-Face, you'll get nowhere. You were onto something. You need to find your _own_ place in this world, to build your empire from the ground up. Only then will you amount to something. I'll let you in on a secret, I'm a good judge of character. One of the best in Roanapur. And I know just by talking to you that you have what it takes to go far. You just need to start small. These next ten months will be a taste of how you could live if you prove yourself." Rock absorbed every word with frightening curiosity and interest. He truly longed to carve out something for himself in this city, something more than what he already had. The risk that this would destroy him was all but eradicated from his mind. He was hungry for power, and that hunger would not be sated until he sat atop a throne at the top of the world.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Know the Players

Revy sat quietly stewing at the bar that night, her mood significantly soured by the day's events and revelations. Dutch, too, was undeniably irritated, though he hid it better. Sometimes Revy wondered if he actually cared at all. Seeing as how he, too, waited at the bar, he surely must be experiencing the unmistakable inner discomfort. The two of them needed to get away. They couldn't stay in that apartment any longer, not after what went down. Revy silently chugged her rum as Dutch contemplatively examined the glass of cheap beer he had been given, deep in thought. Wolf strode through the doors later that night and took a seat between them.

"Dutch," he greeted the man. "I got your call. Sounded urgent. What's up?" Dutch did not answer immediately, taking a sip of his beer first and then setting it down. His movements were accompanied by an eerie tension.

"It's Rock," the man spoke at last. "I want you to keep an eye on him." Wolf raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You know, I don't think I've been hired as an assassin since I came to this city," he joked. Neither of the others laughed, much to his concern. "Joke wasn't that bad, was it?" More silence. Revy finished her drink and gestured to Bao for a refill.

"We're not fucking around, Wolfy," she told him. "Old Rocky Boy doesn't know what the fuck he's doing."

"We just want you to follow him," Dutch said. "Find out what he does when he goes out. You think you can do that?" Wolf ordered a drink and squirmed on his stool. He was clearly not entirely comfortable with this situation, probably due to the fact that he had no information on the apparent fallout within the Lagoon Company.

"You know I can," the assassin said. "But I don't exactly have a lot to go on, here."

"Suffice it to say that Rock…he's been acting weird," Dutch elaborated slowly. "He showed up with two goons this morning. Claimed they were his bodyguards or something."

"Motherfucker!" Revy exploded then, content to contain her anger no more. She threw her glass at the ground, smashing it to pieces. Bao shot her a disgruntled look. "What the _fuck_ is he doing?! Thinks he's some sort of Mister Chang, I suppose. Limp-dick idiot."

"He has bodyguards?" Wolf asked. "That's new."

"Yeah, it is," Dutch told him. "That's what worries me. Rock is delving into the crime of this city more than he ever has in the past. I just need you to tell me what he does, where he goes." Wolf looked frightfully concerned at this. Rock was always so innocent, so content to be a part of Lagoon and do his job by the book. To find out that he was essentially transforming himself into a crime boss was…disturbing. It brought back memories of when he had come to collect the Japanese man from the café after Revy had broken his nose that time, back before all of this shit had surfaced. That was a much simpler time. Roanapur was much safer, spared the brunt of the shitstorm that had hit it this last year.

"Yeah," the assassin answered after a pause. "I can do that." Revy knew from his voice that he was as troubled about this as her. He expressed it less aggressively, of course. Then again, so did most people. There were few as volatile and unstable as Revy. "Fuck, man. Rock, seriously?"

"Yup," Revy answered, ordering another rum.

"Don't fucking throw this one on the ground," Bao told her. She flipped him off in response, drinking the liquor sown.

"I can't fucking wrap my head around this," the assassin continued. "I mean, sure, I thought _maybe_ someday he would come into his own. When he was older. But, damn, that was a fast transition. What fucking age is the kid?"

"Too damn young," Dutch weighed in. "Too damn young for this life." There was no denying that. Not long ago, Revy had done her best to come to terms with his transformation. But this was too much. All of this had happened too fast, and too soon after Roanapur's invasion by the Black Marchers, too. None of this sat well with her. With any of them. They needed to figure this out.

"Just wish I fucked him up more," Revy piped up after downing yet another drink.

"You went for him?" Wolf asked, unsurprised.

"Yeah. Then those two fuckers with him dragged me off him."

"Good thing I was there," Dutch reminded her. "What the fuck were you thinking, pulling your guns on those guys?"

"They walked right into our apartment, Dutch! The fuck was I supposed to do, make a pot of tea, offer them my bed?!"

"I made it pretty clear they aren't welcome under our roof," Dutch said, taking a steady drink. "Rock respects that. He told us he wouldn't have those fuckers in the apartment."

"Yeah, just down the road in their black Merc."

"Fuck me," Wolf breathed. "This city gets shittier by the day." Dutch smirked.

"It's about to get a whole lot shittier, if Kane is to be believed." Once again, it came back to Kane and his haunting prediction. If there was even a sliver of truth to his words, Roanapur would soon meet its match. When that time came, perhaps Rock and his allies would be valuable in protecting the city. For now, though, they needed to make him see sense, As dead set as he was on becoming the next crime lord of Roanapur, neither the city nor his allies were ready for that transition. He was too young and Hotel Moscow and the Triad were far too content to maintain their current control and positions of power. A new syndicate with a new leader would spell war, one Rock was destined to lose. As much as Chang and Balalaika liked him, they would have no qualms about crushing him if he got the notion in his head to attempt to seize territory in Roanapur from them and control it as his own. It seemed as though that was the way he was going. Lagoon Company needed the old Rock back, and soon. The storm was coming, whether they wanted to believe it or not.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Burn From Within

"What's the trouble this time, Chang?" Dutch asked as the Triad's leader took a seat. Chang glanced towards Rock beneath his sunglasses, more than likely having been informed about the man's sudden shift in morality and personality. It did not concern Chang so much as surprise him. He would have no qualms with Rock making a name for himself. What would bother him was if Rock's interests conflicted with the Triad's or Hotel Moscow's. That, however, remained to be seen. There were more important matters to see to right now.

"I have news," Chang explained to Lagoon Company, all of whom were present right now. It wasn't often Chang visited these days. When he did, he brought urgent news or troubling developments. He had their undivided attention. "Recently, one of my people came to me with news of a new…establishment. Here in the city. From what I've been told, this establishment acts like a soup kitchen. They feed the poor and hand out supplies. Sleeping bags, blankets, that sort of thing." Dutch frowned confusedly.

"That doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would worry me," he admitted.

"Well, naturally, Dutch. I felt the same when I first heard. What troubles me is how fast and efficient this establishment has come about. A week ago, there was no sign of these people. Now, they're handing out food like they're the next Robin Hood. What bothers me more is the fact that there's a rumour circulating that they turn away agents of my Triad or Hotel Moscow. For whatever reason, they will not deal with us."

"That's a bit more interesting," Dutch told him, lighting a cigarette. "And you want us to, what, investigate?"

"I want you to find out what they're really doing here," Chang said bluntly, throwing down a map of the city. Not too far north of their apartment was a red circle. That was presumably where this place was. "Get inside. Do whatever you have to so that you get information on what it is they're planning. Something is afoot and I want to know what." With that, he stood and left the apartment, followed closely by his guards. That couldn't have been a weirder encounter. Personally, Dutch thought Chang was being a bit paranoid. It sounded like this was genuinely some facility for the less fortunate. What struck him as strange was the fact that this was Roanapur. Nothing like that ever happened in this city. For that reason alone, he would investigate in an attempt to find out if there truly was some scheme afoot.

"Are we really going down there?" Revy asked, utterly disinterested in this. Dutch sighed.

"I am," he told them. "Any of you want to tag along, be my guest." He grabbed the car keys and left, followed closely by a disgruntled Revy.

"That was fucking weird, Dutch," she told him as they made their way to the establishment. "Sounds like Chang's lost it."

"This last year hasn't been easy," he responded grimly. "I'd consider Chang and Balalaika stupid if they weren't a little over cautious. But yeah, I see what you mean. Even after everything this city has seen recently, that was a bit much." There was no denying that. Still, even in their scepticism they were curious about the possibility of a new threat to the city. Roanapur had seen nothing but shit this last year and it would continue to see nothing else for the foreseeable future. All they could do now was honour Chang's wish and look into this matter. They pulled up outside a dingy little building. Sure enough, homeless people and the less fortunate were hanging around the area. Dutch and Revy exited the car and headed on inside. There were three people behind a counter, handing out bowls of soup and slices of bread. It was literally what a soup kitchen would have looked like. Apart from the fact that the servers all carried guns, of course. Dutch looked each of these people up and down. Not only did they carry themselves with unmistakable alertness and confidence, but their weapons were not like anything Roanapur's lowlifes would have. They were more pristine, far more reminiscent of military equipment.

"Can I help you?" one of the men asked. Dutch did not say anything for a moment, instead looking around for any sign of trouble. Everything seemed fairly innocent at first glance. Too innocent, almost.

"You the guy who runs this place?" he asked finally.

"Not exactly," the man answered with a smile. "Name's Karl. I sort of keep this place in order during the week. People gotta eat, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Dutch answered. "So, what exactly is this place? I've been living here for quite a while and I never saw this before." Karl's expression became suspicious, worried, almost.

"Well…there are people in need, right?" he said simply. One of the other servers went outside, returning a few moments later with what was apparently a crate of food. She locked the door behind her, however. That wasn't a good sign. "You two working for the Triad? Hotel Moscow?" Dutch subconsciously rested his hand on the handle of his Magnum. Revy, too, was ready to take her Cutlasses from their restless holsters.

"What's it to you?" Dutch asked him. He removed his gloves and apron, then. There was a bandoleer of bullets strapped to his torso.

"Whoa, easy, friend," he warned. The other two looked ready to attack at any second. "Not every day we get people snooping around about a goddamned soup kitchen." Dutch took a step forward, blocking Revy from view of the servers.

"But that's not really what this is," he said quietly. "Right?" Karl eyed him threateningly. Before he could reply, Revy had been unleashed. Six shots had been expelled from the barrels of her Cutlasses before the other three could get one shot in. Their blood was dashed across the walls as they collapsed pathetically.

"Suppose we should look around," Revy suggested.

"Might as well," Dutch agreed. "We still don't know what these fuckers were doing here." A sharp sound caught their attention as they prepared to search the room. Karl. He was still alive, choking on his own blood. Dutch crouched down beside him and grabbed the front of his shirt. "Ah, so you're not dead. You better spill it, dipshit." A smile crept across the dying man's face as his own blood dribbled out of his mouth and stained his clothes.

"F-fuck you…you have no idea who I am…"

"Then how about cluing us in, cocksucker?!" Revy screeched, once more pointing her gun at him.

"This fucking city…," Karl breathed, his eyes starting to lose focus. "I knew I shouldn't have come here…but _she_ wanted me to. H-how could I say no? A shithole of-of…crime and degeneration…"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Dutch asked, growing impatient. Karl's stiffness waned as he slipped off into death, one last breath escaping his lungs.

"Lucille is coming…" Dutch dropped the lifeless corpse. He had news for the Triad, news Mister Chang was not going to like.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Darkness Inside

Rock surveyed the apartment as he paced around the rather subtle, confined interior. It wasn't anything incredible, but it was larger than other apartments in the city. It would do nicely. It would have to do, actually, considering he had already bought it. Now, it was his to do with as he pleased. The two silent bodyguards stood at the doorway. They were proving to be quite useful. There wasn't much else that needed to be done. He returned to the car and joined Fox.

"Being the King has its perks, does it not?" the eccentric asked as lit a cigar. Rock smirked and fell back in his seat, adjusting the trench coat.

"I'm far off from being King," he claimed. "Is everything ready?"

"Like you asked," Fox told him, inhaling the cigar smoke with exhilaration. "Now _that_ is a quality cigar, let me tell you. Cuban, wouldn't you know. They don't make them like they used to anywhere else, but in Cuba…my God in heaven, the cigars are to die for. Would you care for one?" Rock shook his head, remaining silent and focusing on the task at hand. It had only been a week since Dutch and Revy investigated that soup kitchen but in that time, Rock had been busy forging his alliances. He had his people around the city day and night, keeping watch for any trouble. Right now, a man by the name of Gregor awaited him. A man, rumour had it, worked for this Lucille. Hotel Moscow and the Triad still had no idea what danger these do-gooders and their leader posed to Roanapur. Rock was determined to find out. In the process, he might even expand his own growing empire. The Mercedes pulled up beside an alleyway. Two more guards stood at the entrance. Rock could see a man tied to a steel chair just in the shadows. Gregor, he assumed. "We'll wait for your return," Fox piped up. "And keep watch." Rock nodded before exiting the vehicle and stepping into the shadows of the alleyway. The two guards that stood sentinel at the entrance accompanied him. He hoped he would not need their assistance but in case he did, he wanted them with him. He came to a stop before the bound man.

"The boss man, huh?" Gregor spat. "Thought you'd be older. The fuck do you want, then?" He had an English accent and wore unmistakable military gear. This entire situation was becoming stranger by the day.

"Tell me who Lucille is," Rock ordered, lighting a cigarette and oh so slowly taking a drag. The end of the cigarette lit up his face just enough to spook the bound Gregor.

"Heh. You don't already know? You Roanapur degenerates really are slow to act. I was told Hotel Moscow and the Triad were the best crime organisations this side of the continent."

"I don't represent either of them," Rock spoke quietly, surprising Gregor. The Englishman seemed less sure of himself now. There was fear there, too. Fear of the unknown, of this man Rock who allegedly had no connection to the city's two ruling crime syndicates.

"Then…what do you want?"

"Lucille," Rock repeated. "And who it is you work for. Aside from her, I mean. Who do you represent? Why are your people in Roanapur?" Gregor swallowed hard as he glanced around him nervously.

"You're asking for a lot, kid," he grumbled. "I can't give that information away. You'll have to try another time." A smug smile on his face, Gregor eyed Rock brazenly. Rock, though unsure of exactly how he would act and uncertain about whether he wanted to know, ultimately turned his back on Gregor and gestured to one of his bodyguards. The man pointed his silenced gun at Gregor's knee and pulled the trigger. The bound man screamed in pain as his blood oozed from the wound and splattered across the concrete below.

"You fucking _prick_!" He screamed, moving in his chair so violently that it fell over, knocking him on his side. "What the _fuck_ is the meaning of this?!" Rock hesitated for a moment, both intrigued and disturbed by the callous depravity he was apparently capable of. A part of him revelled in the moment, delighted at how he was finally embracing the darkness and corruption of this city. It drowned out the other half of his soul that cried out in anguish, disgusted at what the young, innocent Japanese man had become. Determined to latch on to that feeling, that natural high, he turned and faced the bleeding Gregor once more. He crouched down and blew smoke in the man's face.

"Oh, willing to cooperate at last?" he taunted. "This could get much uglier, Gregor. I just want to know who you people are. And what kind of a threat you pose to _my city!_ Now spit it out!" Gregor breathed heavily, weighing his options for a moment.

"We're…fuck! We're military, alright?! Lucille is the one in charge. And she's coming. Soon. You better batten down the fucking hatches, kid, because when she arrives…there'll be hell to pay. Whatever dangers this shithole of a city has faced in the past, they don't have shit on Lucille. She is a beast in a woman's body. And she won't stop until this city is in ruins." Rock contemplated Gregor's words for a moment. He came to his feet, then.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he mocked before turning and heading for the Mercedes.

"Whoa! Whoa, wait! You can't leave me here," the soldier pleaded, squirming on the ground miserably. Rock opened the door of the car and put one foot in. He looked back into the alley at the pathetic man on the ground, helpless and without hope. He was completely at Rock's mercy, or the mercy of Roanapur, if he was left there.

"You're right," he called. "I can't. Gentlemen? Make it quick." The bodyguards executed Gregor instantly before entering their own vehicle and speeding off in the other direction. Rock sat into the Mercedes and shut the door. His driver took off, bound for Lagoon Company's apartment. They would want to know this information.

"Bravo, Rocky-Boy!" Fox congratulated the man. "You've taken an important step towards becoming an unstoppable icon of power. How does it feel?" Rock did not answer. Instead, he rolled down the window and breathed deeply.

"I feel…sick," he answered, closing his eyes. "My stomach…it's uneasy. I…"

"It'll pass," Fox told him. "It needed to be done. That man posed a threat to the well-being of the city and everybody here. He worked for this Lucille, a woman he himself claimed would lay waste to Roanapur. He needed to be slain." Fox's voice was deep, more serious than normal. This was the darker side of him that was so often teased. Rock, going pale and feeling numb, stuck his head out the window and vomited up what little food was in his stomach. Fox chuckled. "Better out than in, my lad. Better out than in."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Let Me Out

Rock sat by the window as his thoughts ran rampant in his head. The sun had set hours ago. Now, only the flashing neon lights and distant fires illuminated the city. His new apartment was relatively empty, save for a few chairs and boxes. All he could think about was Gregor. It had been two days since the Englishman had been executed, on Rock's order, no less. As adamant as he was that he was justified in his decision, he could not get the image of the man out of his head. Rock had been on a treacherous road ever since he had come to this city, a road that only had one destination. He had been approaching the end of said road fast recently. He feared he would not survive to come out the other end. But he was determined to see this through, to make sure those muffled, buried voices and feelings did not get the better of him. He would not turn back now, not when he was so close. It was oddly quiet tonight. Though Roanapur's crime ran rampant the same as any other night, the city was still rather calm, collected. None of the people here knew that they were in any danger. That was another thought that crept its way into Rock's mind. Those servers at the soup kitchen were feeding people. They were doing something genuinely noble, commendable and worthwhile. At least Rock would have thought so at one point. If this Lucille was as dangerous and cruel as she was being made out to be, why on Earth would she allow her underlings to help the people she allegedly wanted to kill? It didn't make much sense. Rock would need more information before he could make any kind of judgement. As far as he was concerned, Lucille was just another Kane; some random, foreign lunatic that wanted to destroy the city. The fact that she was apparently military, however, was disconcerting. That might be the first sign that Roanapur had finally attracted the unwanted attention of outside governments. If that was the case, they were in a lot more trouble than they thought.

"What the fuck do you mean, cocksucker?! Let me pass now or I'll put a fucking bullet in both your brains!" The voice was unmistakably Revy's. Being kept outside by the bodyguards, no doubt.

"It's alright," Rock called, lighting a cigarette. "Let her in." After a moment of silence, Revy entered and slammed the door as if to enunciate that she was angry.

"Your goons better watch their asses," she warned as she began walking towards Rock. He just smiled, once again feeling that same air that had surrounded him in the alley with Gregor. This sense came and went from time to time. He would need to learn how to fully delve into it, to allow it to take him.

"They're doing what they're paid to do, Revy," he told her. "What else can you expect?" She grunted.

"Maybe you shouldn't pay them, then." Rock sighed as he placed his free hand on his forehead.

"I thought we were past all this," he groaned.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Revy asked, coming to a halt behind his chair.

"You know what it means," he spat back, taking a drag of his cigarette. "I spent too long looking at this city with life in my eyes. I _wasted_ so much time trying to…trying to do _something._ Trying to make a difference. And for what? No, I'm done resisting Roanapur, Revy. This is it, what I was always going to become. I'm here. Like it or not." He could almost feel the silent unstable shock emanating from Revy as she took in his words. She would not take them well. But she had had enough time to come to grips with this, Rock thought. If she did not deal with it, she was just another obstacle in his way. The thought was dark and quick to snap Rock back to reality. Revy grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him up from the seat, turning him to look her in the eye. He just stared her down, unmoving and fearless. Even without his bodyguards outside, he would not have given in to her selfish desire that he refuse to change, to succumb to the darkness inside him. He had been hurt too often and too deeply by the sight of this city from the perspective that it needed saving. Now, he did not care about its citizens' well-being, only his own and the power he could acquire. He was finished being a caring, narrow-minded, well-intentioned idiot. From now on, he needed to focus on the future, on how he would grow. The old Rock was dead and buried, like his old ideals and desires. That was a reality that could not be denied but that also terrified Revy to her core. He could see it in her eyes as she held him by his shirt and raised her fist unsteadily. Before, she would have undoubtedly punched him, knocking him on his ass and screaming a series of greedy, unreciprocated expressions of desperation and dissatisfaction. Now, her arm shook restlessly as it was held in the air. After a few moments, it dropped to her side. Rock fell back into his chair as Revy crumbled pathetically to her knees, more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. That, too, would have concerned him in the past. But now, he was sick and tired of dealing with her. The fact that she was acting so uncharacteristically was lost on him. It was truly a tragic sight to behold, this newly arisen Rock, born from ash and blood. With his mind and soul, he would lead Roanapur to glory or destruction.

"…who…are you?" Revy's whimpering voice wheezed as she sat there, hunched over, her face shadowed and her legs splayed. Rock took the cigarette from his mouth and let it hang from between his dry fingers, the ash slowly burning only to fall silently to the floor.

"I am what you told me to be," he said finally. "When we first met. You wanted so badly for me to be different, to actually function in this world. You gave me shit for it on countless occasions. 'You're not cut out for this', how many fucking times did I hear that? Well…here I am, Revy." He turned his head slightly to glance at her. She had not moved. Though he could not see her face, he thought perhaps there were tears there. No, that would be far too vulnerable for her. He looked away once more, returning his gaze to the window to watch the cars and the lights, relics and offspring of this cesspool of a city. He was deep in it, now, further than he had been before. And whether Lagoon Company liked it or not, this was how he was. There was no dragging him from the darkness. It had well and truly sunk its claws into him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: My Aching Heart

"It's open," called Rock as he donned his trench coat, preparing to leave. His bodyguards were not around today. Whoever it was that had knocked on his door was certainly no enemy of his, seeing as how he was still breathing. The door flung open and Balalaika entered with Boris close behind.

"Ah, there you are," she said, her own military jacket draped over her shoulders. "Dutch tells me you're away from the apartment more often than not."

"And he sent you to check up on me?" Balalaika smirked.

"No, nothing like that," she assured him. "Something has come up. We think there will be a meeting taking place down by the docks tonight. Lucille is rumoured to be making an appearance. We need to catch her before she can do any damage."

"And you want me there?" Rock's tone was rather irritable, more so than he had intended. He immediately regretted that, due in part to Balalaika's eerie silence that followed.

"I thought you might want to know," she told him at last, turning to leave. She looked over her shoulder once she reached the door. "Be careful, Rock. Don't bite off more than you can chew." With that, she left. Rock did not appreciate her unwanted advice, but he was not about to argue her on it either. He knew far better than that. Though he could have his bodyguards and chauffeur here at a moment's notice, he opted instead to head out on his own today. It was early in the morning and he longed to stroll through Roanapur once more, alone and unhindered. This city was his home. Despite the fact that it left a lot to be desired, it had grown on Rock over time. He almost needed it. To leave now would feel…wrong, almost. This city held onto him with a stronger grip than he knew. Yet, he could not help but feel a pang of grief, perhaps guilt, at the knowledge that another aggressor sought its downfall. Too many enemies in the past had tried to either destroy the city itself or those that lived here. Surely, Lucille had heard of the death of Sif and her Wolf Pack, the fall of Kane and his Black Marchers. Her people would follow suit, Rock was sure of it. They were just another haughty pack of scavengers that wanted to sink their teeth into what they could in this dying city of ashes. It was refreshing to get out into the open air and let the breeze gently comb through his hair. Even the people were more relaxed. Where once Rock might have been pickpocketed, he was now free to do as he pleased without being targeted by the city's poor lowlifes. That was due in no small part to Major Landis's hired help and Mister Fox. News of this rising player in the game of power had spread like wildfire. There were few, even among the dying and homeless, that did not know of Rock's newfound status. As confident as he was moving forward, he would miss his old life, the old version of himself that had been destroyed so long ago. But he would not dwell on that. It threatened to pull him back and he would not let that happen. He returned to his apartment after two hours that seemed an age. To his surprise, the door was slightly ajar. He was regretting not enlisting the help of his bodyguards now. As he gently nudged the door open, it moved inwards to reveal a woman in one of Rock's seats. Her hair was as red as blood, tied back in a ponytail, though a single lock did trickle down across her forehead. She wore a knee-length brown leather trench coat, similar to but heavier than Rock's. Her hands were covered with black gloves and she wore camouflage combat pants. In her right hand, an exquisite silver pistol with a black grip. Rock could barely make out the inscription on its side; _Who Dares Wins._

"Mister Okajima," she said in a soft English accent. "I've been waiting for you for an hour. I was disappointed to find your apartment empty. Please, have a seat." Rock swallowed hard before closing the door behind him and sitting opposite this woman. He could not help but feel this irrevocable sense of dread just from her presence. Her voice was low, but intimidating, hitting notes and pitches that subconsciously encouraged Rock to obey her.

"Lucille?" he asked, nervous to hear her answer. Her lips curved into a wicked smile, though one Rock could not help but suspect was artificial.

"You've heard of me, then," she surmised. "That's not surprising. I did have my people in your city, you were bound to cross their paths at some point."

"Wha-"

"No, no," Lucille cut him off. "Do let me finish, I implore you. I'm not sure how much you know about my operations. Or motivations. But let me tell you this; my people have been in your city for about a month and a half now. In that time, they've kept me informed on the dealings and movements of Roanapur's major players. Shall I tell you the names of these people? Karl, he was one of the first I sent. Then there was Alicia. Bill. Oh, and Gregor, of course. Do any of those ring a bell?" Rock clutched the inside of his pocket nervously. He was sweating now, and his throat was incredibly dry. How foolish he had been to dismiss his bodyguards. "There are others, of course. But they are still alive. To name them would be to compromise their safety." She looked Rock dead in the eye before standing briefly, dragging her chair over closer to his, and sitting once more. "You need to understand something right off the bat. I am not like any of the pathetic excuses for human beings that have attempted to do whatever here in the past. This man, Kane…what a sorry bastard he was. And Sif, was it? I wasn't sure if she even existed. My point, however, is that I care deeply about each and every one of my people. And their deaths…I did not take them lightly. Tell me, then, what became of my people?" Rock blinked a few times before returning his gaze to quite possibly the most terrifying woman he had come across since his first encounter with Revy.

"I-I can tell you, I-!"

"Well, of course you can," Lucille agreed menacingly. "I wouldn't be asking you otherwise." She pointed her gun between Rock's legs, then, her finger on the trigger.

"My people killed…the first three. Karl, Al-Alicia…and…Bill, they ran the soup kitchen, right?" Lucille smiled, her face inches from Rock's now. He could feel her warm breath, like a rabid dog's right before it went for the kill.

"And what of Gregor, Mister Okajima? I heard a devastating rumour about his death. They say his execution was ordered, and overseen, mind you, by a young Japanese man." Her eyes, one blue one green, were fixed on him. Her gun, too, slowly moved upwards until it was pointed firmly between his eyes. "You made a serious mistake, I'm afraid. Oh, how deep in shit you all are." She whistled softly, prompting two rather burly men to enter and drag Rock to his feet. Where they were taking him, he did not know.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Wrath of God

"Benny, you find anything yet?" Dutch asked his friend, who was currently scouring the far reaches of the world's databases on his laptop for information on Lucille. News of Rock's abduction reached them almost immediately. They had no idea where he was, or why Lucille had taken him. They needed to find out what they could about her.

"I got a file here," Benny told Dutch and Revy. "Lucille Maria. She's military, alright. Fuck…Captain in the S.A.S."

"Goddamn," Dutch moaned, massaging his temples. That was even worse than they had anticipated.

"S.A. what?!" Revy asked, unimpressed.

"Special Air Service," Benny answered. "English special forces. Some of the best soldiers in the world. And she was a fucking Captain. Two years ago, she was put in charge of a task force named Godswrath dedicated to exterminating the world's drug cartels."

"That might explain why she's here," Dutch deduced. "But why the fuck would she take Rock?" Wolf entered the apartment, then, eager to get to action. All he knew was that Rock was missing and they intended to go after him.

"Got your message," he said shortly. "We going?"

"Not yet," Dutch told him. "Benny-Boy, here, just pulled up some very interesting info on our newest tourist."

"Oh yeah? What's her deal?"

"S.A.S.," Benny repeated. "Captain." Wolf looked genuinely shocked.

"Shit, seriously?! Fuck, man."

"That's not all," the tech wizard continued. "According to this, she came face to face with Abrego on a few occasions. She's a hard-ass. Determined to stamp out drug trafficking anywhere she finds it. And-well, that's unexpected."

"What is?" Dutch asked, taking a seat beside the blonde American.

"Says here she's listed as having gone AWOL." Dutch raised his eyebrows. His past was mysterious, seeing as he had never shared explicitly what he did before coming to Roanapur and starting Lagoon Company. The accepted story was that he was in the American military and that he served in Vietnam. What was more shrouded in uncertainty was whether he left legitimately or had, in fact, gone AWOL as well.

"No shit?" he grumbled.

"Yeah. The entire task force was stationed in Mongolia. Eight soldiers, not including her. Some were American, the rest English. Dutch, I think those guys you two killed in the soup kitchen were her task force members." That shed a bit more light on the situation. She was bound to be pissed about that.

"Boohoo, bitch is gonna cry over a few bodies," Revy growled, no compassion in her voice. Why she had taken Rock was still unknown. It was possible, however, it had something to do with the man Rock had interrogated earlier in the week. The Japanese man claimed to have gotten the information out of someone named Gregor. They never thought to ask what happened to this man after the interrogation was over. Frankly, they weren't sure they wanted to know now that they knew Lucille was here.

"So what's the plan?" Wolf asked. Rock was still out there, probably beaten and abused by these killing machines. From Benny's continued ramblings, they discovered that two of the remaining task force members had also been in the S.A.S. serving under Lucille. The other two were American, apparently former members of Delta Force. They, too, were an extremely dangerous special forces unit within the military. It was safe to assume these four soldiers were with her in the city right now. Why this joint task force had all gone AWOL without a moment's notice baffled them all. If they left to pursue Abrego or one of the other cartels, it didn't quite add up. They would need to look into this further.

"Any idea where they might be keeping Rock?" Dutch asked. Though he hadn't looked at anybody in particular, the question was no doubt aimed at Benny. The man shrugged.

"Roanapur doesn't exactly have significant CCTV cameras around the place, Dutch. But I might be able to see if he's been sighted around the city. Just give me about an hour."

"We don't have a fucking hour, Benny!" Revy screamed. "Those fuckers could be doing anything to that shitforbrains right now."

"Easy, Revy," Dutch hummed in an attempt to calm her. "We'll get him back. For now, we have more work to do."

"We do?" Revy asked, surprised. Dutch nodded.

"Wolf, you think you can get onto the Lovelaces?" That came as a surprise to all of them. The Lovelaces had returned to Venezuela a few days after Kane had been killed. Roberta assured them she would return if the alleged future threat to the city finally appeared. Lucille was as close to that as Roanapur would get without being burned to the ground.

"Yeah, I think so," the assassin answered. An idea came to him, then. "Hey, you know what? Put the word out and see if you can contact a group called the Formation." Dutch furrowed his brow.

"The guys that funded the Yellowflag? Why?"

"I think an old friend might have something to do with them," Wolf suggested. "Someone who would be pretty valuable right now, if I'm right." Willing to try anything, Dutch agreed. Ulysses hadn't been seen in Roanapur for quite some time. If he was indeed in charge of the Formation, his help would be appreciated in tackling Lucille and her task force, Godswrath. These were no ordinary aggressors like the city had seen before. They were the real deal. There were few in Roanapur with actual legitimate military training. Dutch and Balalaika were two of the only individuals who counted themselves amongst that small group. There were fewer still, however, that had actual military subordinates working for them. Lucille had been underestimated. She was truly a foe to be reckoned with.

"Godswrath," Revy scoffed as she planted herself down on the couch that evening. Only Wolf was present, the other two busy trying to get in touch with the Formation. The Triad and Hotel Moscow, too, would need to be informed of the situation's developments. "What a fucking joke. Bunch of pussies ain't shit." Wolf laughed at that. He knew who the S.A.S. were. There were many who did in the British Isles. They were not to be trifled with. A task force of them combined with trained veterans of Delta Force only made things worse. As terrified as the assassin was of facing Kane those months ago, he dreaded encountering one of these soldiers twice as much.

"How's Rock these days?" he asked, concerned and curious about the man's developments. As soon as Revy heard the question, her expression soured.

"Fuck if I know," she replied simply. "Dickwad does what he wants. Fucked if I'm gonna tell him what to do."

"That's…sad," Wolf said simply, surprising Revy. "I saw this happening to him. I told him, that day you broke his nose at the café?" The gunslinger smirked at the thought. "I told him not to lose himself. It fucking kills me to see it happen to him now." There was a drawn out silence before the assassin cleared his throat awkwardly and rose. "I suppose I should call up the Bloodhound. Might as well add more teeth to this city of fucking dogs, amirite?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Track Someone You Share History With

Rock struggled to break free of his bonds in futility. Both his arms and legs were tied to the chair he was in, much like what had been done to Gregor, ironically. His eyes, too, were blindfolded. Lucille looked on in contempt at the sight of this prisoner. It almost would have amused under other circumstances. But she did not find much amusing these days. Not since the day she had gone AWOL, nor since…

"What do you want from me?!" Rock asked hysterically after an extended silence. Lucille went to the far desk and took a small lockbox in her hands. Removing the rose necklace from around her neck and using the key on the end to unlock it, she reached inside and produced a black rose. It was beginning to wither. "What is that?" Rock had managed to free himself from the blindfold, now studying Lucille with curiosity. She considered him for a moment before turning to face him.

"This is one of many roses that grow on a grave back home," she began. "Almost two years ago, I planted the flowers there. Last year, red roses bloomed, the year after, black. I take one every so often to remind me why I do what I do. The grave…the person buried there…he is important to me." That was interesting. She assumed Rock would question her in some attempt to find out all he could.

"He died here, didn't he?" the man asked. There was nobody else in this room. Lucille could be as open as she saw fit. But she wasn't comfortable telling an enemy of hers something so personal, despite how it ate her up inside.

"No, he didn't die here," she said. "Not in Roanapur. No, my brother died in Mongolia. There is a man who was operating there at the time, one who was quite powerful in the criminal underworld, I'm told. My brother was a…journalist. He was investigating something to do with this man. So he shot him. Gunned him down. I spent every day since Anthony's death searching for this man. While my search bore no fruit, I _was_ led to this city." Rock narrowed his eyes. He could almost see where this was going. This was beginning to sound a lot like Kane's reasoning behind his aggression towards Roanapur.

"Let me guess, you didn't like what you saw?" Lucille smiled.

"This city is built on lies and ash," she went on. "The more I saw and heard, the more I realised how beyond hope this city was. I spent my whole career tracking down and exterminating criminal activity. Roanapur is a hive of such degradation, but one that is full of innocents just trying to get by." Then it hit Rock.

"That's why you set up the soup kitchen!"

"Yes," Lucille confirmed. "To help people, to try and do something good. But your friends put an end to that, didn't they?" There was viciousness in her words, now, vile contempt for Lagoon Company. That was why she had taken Rock prisoner, after all, to lure her friends' killers out of hiding so she could end them. "Content to let the city go on like normal. Roanapur…it is not beyond hope, Mister Okajima."

"You can call me Rock," he told her.

"Pardon me?"

"Rock. It's what I'm known as in this city." Lucille thought on that for a moment before smiling, genuinely amused. That was not some false, artificial smile she was putting on like she was apt to do. No, she was actually laughing. It was a rare sight.

"Alright, Rock," she said. "As I was saying, your home…I understand it is not as bad as it might look. But there are certain…parties that must be eliminated for it to thrive. Hotel Moscow, for one. The Triad, for another. Once they have been exterminated, the cartels will disappear. Then, Roanapur can finally grow and thrive as a city of innocence. Free of this disease of crime." Lucille's viewpoints were similar to Rock's some time ago, albeit far more radical. She wanted to help people and as much as it shocked Rock, she was succeeding with the soup kitchen. If anyone could at long last cure Roanapur and do what Rock longed to so long ago, it was Lucille. It was just an unavoidable tragedy that Chang and Balalaika would need to die first.

"Then…you don't want the city to burn?" Lucille glanced across at him as she locked the lockbox once more and set it down.

"I told you I wasn't like Kane or Sif. I do not seek destruction. There is enough of that in the world without me piling on. I seek peace, achieved through the elimination of criminal activity. Law and order. This is how we cure Roanapur." While he did not care for her mentality in his current moral state, Rock certainly would have appreciated her spirit at one time. His opinion of her had certainly changed. She was not the villainous aggressor he thought her to be, she was actually trying to do more good than evil. What marked her as an enemy was that she would inevitably go to war with the two most powerful factions in the country. One of her men entered the dimly lit room, then. He wore only a rank top, combat pants and boots. His hair and handlebar moustache were dark ginger. The rifle over his shoulder, too, was definitely military-grade.

"Captain!" he said firmly as he saluted. "There is a man outside who wishes to see you."

"How did he know where we were?!" Lucille asked, panicked.

"I'm not sure," the man answered. "But the others have him at gunpoint downstairs." Lucille sighed before donning a dark green beret with an S.A.S badge on the front.

"Thank you, Mark," she said before starting towards the door. Her head turned to Rock for a moment as though she had more to say. Ultimately, she decided against it. She followed Mark downstairs and went to the back room where this man was being held. As soon as she saw his face, a rush of emotion flooded over her. It was him, the man who had killed her brother.

"Lucille," Ulysses spoke in his deep hypnotic voice. "Wasn't sure you'd ever find me. Now I found you, it seems."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Special Kind of Hell

"Didn't think you'd ever show your face," Lucille exhaled, still in shock at the unprecedented appearance of Ulysses. "How did you find us?" The elusive crime lord did not waver. His face was blank but alert.

"You of all people should know not to underestimate me," he told her wryly. "You were spotted in the streets by one of my people. Sloppy."

"You brought others?"

"Of course," Ulysses told her. "The boy you brought here-Rock-his people are outside. Only reason they haven't attacked is because I convinced them not to." Lucille scoffed.

"And why would do that?"

"So we would have a chance to talk. I'm sure you want to say many things to me, now that I'm finally here." Lucille considered it for a moment. She finally gestured for her people to leave the room. Once they were alone, they each took a seat across from one another. Lucille had spent so long in pursuit of Ulysses and his organisation. It was still sinking in that he was here now. Of course he would have a backup plan, a contingency to assure his survival. If she attempted to kill him, Rock's people would more than likely storm the place.

"You know there's only one way this ends," she told him. "I didn't expect you to walk in here alone. You realise I can't just let you leave unharmed?" Ulysses nodded.

"I do. But there are three very pissed off killers out there. At the first sign of trouble, they'll come looking. I know you don't want to risk that."

"That's precisely why I took Rock," she corrected him. "I wanted his people to come here. So I could kill them myself. It's the first step towards the purging of this city."

"No denying that," Ulysses agreed. He knew well what her plans were. As closely as she had been following him, he had been keeping tabs on her just as often. He knew all about her distaste for Roanapur, her desire to change it. Much of that stemmed from her hatred for the cartels and crime syndicates that operated here. "But I bet you weren't banking on Hotel Moscow showing up." A look of uncertainty spread across Lucille's face. "That's right. Right now, their people are probably already inside this building. Rock gets out of here one way or another." Lucille leapt to her feet and reached for her gun.

"And you're willing to die for that man?" she asked. "You're willing to let this city go on like this?!"

"No to the first, yes to the second," he replied with a smile, coming to his feet as well. Quick as a flash, he knocked the gun to the floor with a backhand and grabbed Lucille, dragging her to him. She was strong and capable. The longer he held her, the more in danger he was. He needed to get out of here before she unleashed hell on him. "Your brother was _not_ who you thought he was! You want to kill me. You'll keep following me until your dying breath. Not going to talk you out of it. But I will make you see the truth." With that, he threw her to one side and left the room. Gunshots ensued, though it was almost a certainty that he had escaped without being killed by Godswrath. Lucille was on her feet in seconds and sprinting upstairs to where Rock had been held. Once she arrived, all that was left was an empty chair and a note. She kicked the chair to the other side of the room, infuriated. Whatever was in the note, she was sure she didn't want to read it. But she didn't really have a choice. She plucked it up from the ground.

 _Meet me outside of town. North. Look for the flag._

That was frustratingly vague. Still, it was something. There was no doubt she was being lead into a trap. Even so, the note had either been written by Ulysses before he entered the building and left by one of Hotel Moscow's agents, or Lagoon Company had written it in the hopes that they could confront Lucille for the abduction of Rock. She didn't much care at this point. She would go to this meeting, regardless. Too much time had been wasted already. She needed to put her plan into action. Her people entered the room, then, eager to get on with it. There was Mark, of course, the American muscle-house who was ready to serve at a moment's notice. Killian, too, was from the States, with hair as bright as his mind and a penchant for unarmed combat. Henry was one of her own, having served under her in the S.A.S. He was a rather posh man, which contradicted his unmatched talent for violence. But he followed orders and did his job correctly. Finally, her gaze fell upon Cobb, the cockney charmer who had come close to being discharged a few times. Now that he was AWOL along with the rest, there was no worrying about that. They had far more immediate problems to deal with, now. The four of them were undoubtedly the best that Godswrath had to offer. The other four would be missed. Their deaths hurt more than any of them cared to admit.

"Orders, Captain?" asked Henry.

"Arm up," she told them. "Meet me in the garage in five. We have work to do." She accompanied them to the cramped room downstairs where they stored their weapons and ammo. She hung a sniper rifle around her shoulder and retrieved her pistol with the inscription across the side. Hotel Moscow would not hold back now that they knew where Godswrath were staying. They needed to move quickly. This entire building was now compromised. Once they were all ready, they hopped into their armoured car. Lucille drove herself. She was not one to needlessly delegate work to her subordinates. She knew where to go and how to get there. Though the note was vague, she found herself north of Roanapur, where the sight of the Slip Knot Bridge met her. A tattered Irish flag hung from the top of it. Sure enough, there was a single car parked ahead. Lucille came to a stop. She removed her sniper rifle and handed it to Henry in the passenger seat.

"Captain?" he asked, though he was sure he knew what she wanted of him.

"If this goes south, do not let them escape," she told him. "You're my second-in-command, Lieutenant." She exited the vehicle then and walked forward a few paces, anticipating three or four angry members of Lagoon Company to show themselves. To her surprise, one man exited the lone car on the bridge. She did not recognise him, though the Desert Eagle at his side and the blade on his back suggested he would not go down easy.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Message History Brings

Wolf stared at Lucille for a few moments. He could tell from her expression that she had not seen his face before. Truthfully, he was not entirely sure why he had asked her out here today. He wanted to speak to her, more than anything. The fact that she was a soldier clicked something inside him. He wanted to convince her not to burn Roanapur. That was an impossible task, but one he had to attempt.

"You got me all the way out here," she called, holding her gun firmly in her hand and adjusting her beret. "I don't see the glint of sniper scopes anywhere. I assume that means you want to talk." That was clever. He should have known she'd be smart, alert. She was like no enemy he had ever faced before.

"Lucille," he said. "We finally have the chance to meet. I'm the Wolf."

"The assassin?" she asked, surprised. So she had heard of him. Considering her life and career were dedicated to exterminating crime, that was almost a given. "I didn't think you'd be in this city. Thought you'd have bigger fish to fry."

"So did I," he told her. "Turns out this city has a way of digging its fangs into you. Keeping you here. But that's beside the point."

"Indeed. What do you want?" Wolf shifted his weight as he weighed his options. No matter what he said, he doubted she would listen to him. Her heart was too angry, full of hatred. She was dead set on the annihilation of Roanapur's criminal underworld. What scared him was that she was very capable of seeing that plan through.

"I want to talk," the assassin began. "You haven't been here that long so I imagine from what you've seen, this city must look like quite the shithole. Especially compared to an army barracks, right?" Lucille smirked.

"I've seen enough."

"I imagine. Look, I get where you're coming from. I really do. But you can't go through with this. There are innocents here, too. Families. No matter what you do, the fall of the criminal underworld here will plunge the city into months of poverty. More people will die without Roanapur's ruling crime lords than with." If anything would convince Lucille to halt her operations, it would be the possibility of innocent civilian deaths. She cared about that more than she would let on. Truthfully, Wolf almost did, too, now that he thought about it. A stark contrast to the cold-hearted assassin that strolled through the doors of the Yellowflag those months ago.

"I doubt that," Lucille told him. "But I see what you mean. That's what the soup kitchen was for. One of what I hoped would be many to feed the starving and provide shelter for the homeless. Just a pity Roanapur's rulers decided to investigate."

"Rock told us about your brother," Wolf said suddenly, taking Lucille by surprise. "And Ulysses. He told us something…well, something I didn't expect. You said he was a journalist."

"Yes," Lucille confirmed. "He was investigating Ulysses's organisation. So he killed him."

"Yeah, so I hear. Turns out your brother wasn't so innocent, Lucille."

"Bullshit," she spat. "What do you know? Who are you to tell me about my own brother's innocence?!"

"I'm someone with information," Wolf retorted. "Ulysses told me what really went down that day. You've heard of Sif? The leader of Wolf Pack?" Lucille was silent for a moment as she briefly entertained the idea for a second that this assassin was telling the truth.

"Of course I have," she said. "What of her?"

"Your brother worked for her, Lucille," Wolf told her. "He was a member of Wolf Pack. Ulysses and Sif had been at war with one another for years. Your brother was a casualty of their conflict. Whatever he told you…I'm sorry. He lied." That was incredibly bold to tell her this. She could easily shoot him down right then and there, refusing to believe what he had told her. But she did not raise her gun. She just stood there, her eyes becoming unfocused. She did not want to believe this.

"I've hunted him for ages," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I followed him across the continent. I can't just…forgive him. No matter who my brother may or may not have been." That was understandable. What surprised Wolf more was how quick she was to accept the fact that her brother was not what he claimed. She did not argue, nor did she lose her temper. She just struggled with this information.

"And what of Roanapur?" the assassin asked. If Lucille was to go to war with Ulysses, the city would get caught in the middle. If she still sought the deaths of Mister Chang and Balalaika, that was quite another matter.

"I will continue with my mission." That was disappointing. "But I will think on what you said…Wolf." She turned and entered her car once more before it sped off back towards the city. She must have known. Deep down, somehow, she must have had an inkling that her brother was no innocent journalist. Otherwise, she would not have been so quick to accept such riveting newfound information. There was nothing more to be done. Wolf took off, bound for Lagoon Company's apartment. Once he arrived, Rock was predictably nowhere to be seen.

"How'd it go?" Ulysses asked. Considering he was working with them now, he would be sticking around.

"I'm not sure," the assassin answered. "Fuck, I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

"What's our next move?" Revy asked, cleaning her Cutlasses.

"We wait," Dutch told her. "For the Lovelaces. When they arrive, we can get this show on the road. Plan hasn't changed. We take this bitch out one way or another. Find her people, kill them. We need to take her out before she does any more damage."

"Have you spoken to Chang or Miss Balalaika yet?" Benny asked.

"Tomorrow," Dutch told him. "But they'll be ready. They always are. Once we have our people ready to move, they'll lead the assault. Lucille won't get out of Roanapur alive." That was undeniable, considering the willingness of the city's leaders to exterminate any threats. The last year had been nothing but bloodshed and carnage. The Triad and Hotel Moscow were more than prepared to eliminate any person or group that might pose even the smallest threat to the livelihood and survival of Roanapur's criminal underworld.

"Where's Rock?" Wolf asked, though he knew the answer. Dutch shrugged his shoulders.

"Fuck if I know. Try his apartment." Wolf intended to. He needed to speak to Rock. The rising crime lord needed to have some sense knocked into him, one way or the other.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Of Dogs and Wolves

Rock was glad to be safe once again. Being kidnapped by Lucille and her people was rather unpleasant, despite her oddly non-hostile treatment of him. He hoped to never run into her again. His apartment was probably not the safest place to be right now. But he figured he was safe enough, especially with his bodyguards outside. He needed to wind down. Planted firmly in his window chair, he lit a cigarette. He was smoking far more than usual these days, too, he noticed. A side-effect of his drastic character shift, presumably. But he would need that attitude and ruthlessness when the time came to finally take Lucille down. So far, she had shown herself capable of evading Roanapur's criminals. She would continue to do so until the time came to go to war with her. That inevitable conflict was approaching fast, too. Rock heard commotion outside. The Wolf's voice could be heard. Fearing an argument would break out, he ordered the bodyguards to let the assassin pass.

"Haven't seen you in a while," he said. Rock smiled, taking a drag and slumping down in his chair.

"I assume you came here to give me the same speech I've been hearing from everyone," he predicted, annoyance in his voice. Wolf sniffed as he took a few steps forward. Though Rock could not currently see him, he suspected the assassin wore an expression of judgement.

"Not really," Wolf said, much to Rock's surprise. "I said all I had to that day you got your nose broken by Revy. I wanted to ask you about your lackeys."

"What about them?" Rock asked emotionlessly after a short pause.

"I assume you're going to use them against Lucille," the assassin said hopefully. "We're gonna need all the help we can get. Going up against her isn't going to be like the others."

"Is that so?" Rock came to his feet and turned to face the assassin. "I didn't think you'd be so concerned with my people."

"Come on, Rock, drop the fucking tough lad act. The days of working for money are dead and gone. Profit, power, influence…fuck them all. This is about survival, the preservation of the city. And _your_ goddamn allies. If you don't fight, you die. That's the law of the land now." Rock looked almost amused by this before his expression turned a bit more serious and he placed his hand on his forehead.

"I'm sure it sounded like a good idea when you decided to come down here," he began, hostility in his voice, "but you wasted your time. Lucille is a pest, nothing more. Until she actively threatens me, she's not worth my time."

"She _did_ actively threaten you, you fucking moron!" the assassin spat. "She tied you to a fucking chair, took you from your own home. Jesus, Rock…what the fuck happened to you?" Rock looked away and resumed sitting in his chair, the smoke from his lungs filling the room.

"If Chang or Balalaika need me, they know where I am. Then we can discuss terms." Tempted to hit him, Wolf decided against it and stormed out of the apartment. He could be heard for a few seconds cursing and shouting all manner of infuriated expletives to the sky. Rock was not some pawn that Roanapur's leaders could move around as they saw fit to protect themselves. Not anymore. If they wanted him to play along, he would do so on his own terms. He didn't much care if they liked that or not. If Major Landis's people were not working for Rock, they would likely flee the city at the first sign of trouble from Lucille. Now, the only reason they were here was because of Rock. If the Triad or Hotel Moscow wanted to avail of their services, they would be expected to compensate Rock for his assistance. That was just how things were now. It was getting late. It felt strange the first few nights Rock had been away from Lagoon Company. Now, he rarely saw them. They didn't visit, nor did they check up on him. He was truly and absolutely alone. Just the way he wanted. It was now as if he had never known his old friends, as if he had ever met them that day on the Asahi Industries ship. Rock would not sleep restfully tonight. He rose from his seat and went to the door. Where the evening would take him, he did not know. But he did not want to sit around all night and do nothing. Perhaps he would arrange a meeting with some of the cartels. He had been planning to do so for a while, now. His plan involved offering the cartels manpower. Protection and transportation of merchandise. In exchange, they would cut him a share of the profits from their trafficking. It would be a pivotal move in expanding his influence and reach in the city. Whether Balalaika or Chang would agree was another matter. But he was not really concerned with their stance. Unless they actively tried to kill him, that was. Rock pulled open the door and prepared to leave. But something was not right. His bodyguards…they now lay in pools of their own blood. That was terrifying. They hadn't made a sound as they died. Lucille's people, of course. Who else would be so precise, so quiet in their work? They were coming for Rock. He needed to hide. Quickly slamming the door and turning the lock, he fumbled in the inside pocket of his trench coat for his cell phone and dialled Fox's number.

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite young man!" Fox's unmistakable voice sounded on the other side. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Fox! I need you to send someone to my place, I'm being attacked! The guards are dead!"

"Calm down," Fox ordered, his voice immediately changing, becoming far more serious. "Who-" With a crash and a sharp pain, the phone was shot from Rock's hand. It exploded into several pieces, some of which scarred the side of Rock's face. He immediately dropped to the ground, quivering in fear of what was to come. Lucille's people were far more experienced and capable killers than even Revy. They would have him dead in seconds had he not locked the door. Even now, he still likely had about a minute to live. As he heard someone fumbling at the door, he scurried across the room and hid behind his chair. It was not the best cover, but he would not be seen by any unwanted visitors. The door flung open with a crash. Rock did not see the stranger, but their footsteps were heavy and measured.

"I know you're in here, shitface," an American accent came from the doorway. Rock heard the man cock his gun as he came further into the room. "It's Mark, remember me? You got hella lucky back there, those Russian bastards bailing you out like that. Old Fry-Face…she the one that runs things? Ruskie bitch needs to be taken down a peg. And our lovely Lucille is just the person for the-"

Without warning, Mark was sent to his knees with a meaty thud. Rock came out from behind cover to find the soldier bleeding from a fresh bullet wound in his chest. In disbelief, Mark felt the wound with his finger. By some miracle, Fox stood in the doorway with a silenced handgun. He stepped forward and sent a bullet into Mark's brain, killing the soldier instantly. Rock was in utter shock at this display.

"You better get down," Fox commanded. "There might be more."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Put Me Back Together

The Lovelaces strode in the door of Lagoon Company's apartment late that night. Things were finally looking good. They were assembling their allies for the upcoming battle and Roberta would be useful, even in her current state. There was a man with them, too, with short blonde hair and a stern look.

"It's good to see you lot again," Dutch told them. "I assume Wolf explained the situation?"

"He did," Garcia told him. "We're glad to offer our help." The man stepped forward and shook Dutch's hand.

"Dutch, good to meet you," he said.

"Likewise, Caxton," Lagoon's leader reciprocated. Wolf had no idea who this Caxton was, having heard nothing of Roberta's exploits in the city before he met her. What little he had heard mentioned no Caxton. "We missed you back when the Bloodhound shot the place to shit."

"Rock isn't with you?" the soldier asked. None of them answered, though their expressions said it all.

"Rock is occupied," Wolf piped up in and attempt to diffuse the tension. "Name's Wolf." They shook hands.

"The assassin," Caxton said, apparently having heard of him before. Either that, or the Lovelaces told him about the assassin. Right now, there was not much they could do. Not until Hotel Moscow contacted them with a location of Lucille, at least. For now, Dutch, Revy, Wolf and Roberta decided to head to the Yellowflag while the others made sure they would be ready for action at a moment's notice. The time to face Lucille was approaching fast, now. They could not afford to be distracted or ill-prepared. Wolf was eager to hear about the Lovelaces and how they had been getting on since last he spoke to any of them. He had grown quite fond of the family. Garcia was an innocent boy, too good for the depravity of Roanapur. But he was also wise and mature beyond his years, more than capable of being in charge of his family. Wolf had only been to his estate once, but the memory always came back to him. Still, as eager as he was to speak to Roberta, he could not help but notice Revy's subdued mood. She sat alone, at the edge of the bar at least three stools away. She had been like this for a while now, ever since she went to speak to Rock. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was wrong with her. Wolf knew how strongly she felt about Rock. Whether those feelings were sororal, romantic or platonic was unknown. But they were strong, having manifested into a protective instinct towards the Japanese man. His sudden change was a lot to stomach, for Revy more than anyone else. Wolf rose from his stool and went to her, ordering a drink as he did so.

"What's the matter?" she asked. The assassin could not help but feel as if she was leading into some rant. "You saw some poor, pathetic girl at the end of the bar, thought you'd go over and try get in her pants? Pfft. Not tonight, pal."

"Whoa," Wolf exclaimed. "Easy. Nothing so…weird. But yeah, you look a bit shitty over here."

"Save your breath," she told him.

"Revy…you don't have to have your fucking guard up all the time," he told her half-heartedly. "Not for me. I know you might disagree. Actually, I'm fucking certain you disagree. But, shit, there's no need." She did not respond. "I know what's bothering you."

"Fuck you," she growled. "You don't know shit about me!"

"I know more than you think," he assured her. "I know how much you care for that boy. And I know how much it's eating you up to see him like this. For whatever reason, whatever he was to you before…that's gone now." She looked up at him with anger in her eyes. That anger soon dissolved until all that was left was pity. Self-loathing. "I'm no stranger to having someone you care about turn their back on you." Revy scoffed.

"You must think I look pretty fucking pathetic right now," she told him as she knocked back her glass of rum. Wolf took a sip of his beer that looked even less appetising than normal.

"Not really," he told her. "You're just frustratingly difficult to talk to."

"Eat me," she grumbled. Wolf took another drink. Over this last year, Revy had, intentionally or otherwise, opened up to the assassin probably more than she had anyone else in this city. Though she hated vulnerability and had a constant need to appear tough and stonehearted, it certainly did help to vent once in a while. Even Revy, who laughed at others who would do the same, needed to let her defences down. She was not invincible. Far from it. She was broken. Badly. It seemed unlikely she would ever be completely healed. But Wolf was certainly giving it a good try, due in no small part that he had his own demons to wrestle with. They made a strange but oddly compatible pair.

"Look, Rock is…pricking around right now," Wolf went on. "He has some agenda and we're just going to have to wait and see what he has in store. Can't do shit about it now." Revy just sat there, frowning indignantly at her glass. "You can tell me what's going on in that skull of yours. I won't think less of you."

"Fuck you," she spat, thought she was smiling. That was a good sign. Wolf patted her on the back as he re-joined the others.

"I keep worrying we shouldn't be here," Dutch said.

"Why?" asked Wolf, confused. "Did you see something?"

"Nah, but if any of Lucille's people some in here and start shooting, Bao is going to eat us alive. Bar only just got fixed, after all."

"Oh yeah," Wolf said, a laugh escaping him. "Damn, we better be careful." Just then, a man they did not recognise came rushing through the doors. There was a gun in his hand. "Oh, you have to be fucking joking!"

"Lagoon Company?" he asked. He did not look like a member of Godswrath. He certainly wasn't dressed for that kind of work, with his suede jacket and fedora.

"Who's asking?" Dutch growled.

"Follow me," the man ordered them, wasting no time. "Rock has been shot. He's at his apartment."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Which One Gets the Honour?

The wound was not fatal. No, it was clean and the bullet had gone right through him. Rock had just lost some blood. But Mister Fox did a good job of bandaging him up.

"After I killed Mister Moustache, there, a second man came inside," Fox explained to them. "Took a shot. Hit our Rock right in the gut. I managed to get him in the shoulder before he took off. Wasn't expecting Rock to have backup, I take it."

"Jesus," Dutch mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "They're getting braver. Lucille will be sending the others after us, trying to take us out. We need to get this show on the road. I'll call Balalaika." He went outside in search of a payphone.

"We should not all be here," Roberta piped up. "If we are all in the same place, it will make us easier targets."

"That's smart," Fox told her.

"I've got an apartment," Wolf said, reaching for his keys. "Half of us can operate there. Make it harder for her to pin us down." That wasn't a bad plan. Lucille knew where Rock's apartment was, but seeing as how the rest of them were alive and well, she had no idea where they slept at night. It would give them the advantage to split up and operate from two different locations. That way, it would divide her forces as they searched for their targets, making both her and her people more vulnerable. Dutch came back inside.

"Balalaika says she's got some information for us," he informed the room. "Sounds big. We should head over there as soon as we can. What's this I hear about splitting up?"

"I'm going to take a couple of people to my place," Wolf reiterated. "Make it harder for us to be discovered."

"Clever." Rock, Roberta and Revy decided they would go to the assassin's apartment while Dutch would remain with Benny, Caxton, Ulysses and the kids.

"You understand I'll have to accompany you," Fox told the assassin. "Mister Okajima's safety is my responsibility, after all."

"Yeah, fine," Wolf said. "Frankly, I'll feel a lot safer with you fuckers around."

"Good. I'll call for two more bodyguards. Those poor bastards outside didn't know what hit them." Once everybody got settled in, Revy accompanied Dutch to meet with Hotel Moscow. They were growing restless and wanted to get the inevitable showdown out of the way. They entered Balalaika's office and took their seats.

"Glad you could make it on such short notice, Dutch," she began. "I have a lead. It's not concrete, but it's the best we've got. My reports tell me Lucille is staying in a warehouse outside of town. Apparently, it's been abandoned for some time. Imagine my shock when lights were seen flickering there just the other night."

"We'll check it out," Dutch told her. "I assume you'll want to be there?"

"Want to be there?" Balalaika asked, almost offended. "Oh, I'll be there alright, fear not. We're bringing the cavalry, Dutch. Mister Chang will accompany us. We will make sure this woman never sees the light of day again. She cannot escape."

"Fucking A!" Revy exclaimed. She was desperate to get a shot at killing Lucille. The two had not met face to face yet, but this former S.A.S. operative sounded like one hell of a challenge in combat. "Just give us the word and we'll pump this bitch full of so many holes she'll be pissing from her head!"

"Eloquent, as ever," Balalaika mocked light-heartedly. "I have my people watching for any sign of trouble. So far, nothing much has happened, though a car did enter the warehouse a few hours ago. We intend to lead the assault by midday tomorrow. Catch an early night, won't you?" They left then to make their preparations. They could not afford any half measures. Tomorrow was truly the day of reckoning. As dangerous as Roanapur's past enemies had been, as close as the city had come to being burned to ash, tomorrow would truly decide its fate. As would Rock, little did he know. Revy and Dutch parted ways, bound for different apartments. As it happened, Fox followed through on his promise. He was standing there by Rock's side in Wolf's apartment.

"Doomsday is on the horizon and you're all sitting around fiddling with your thumbs?" the eccentric asked. Indeed, Roberta sat in a chair by the window, a sniper rifle in her hand. Despite the lack of a left arm, the former assassin was strong enough to wield the weapon with one hand. Rock was watching the news, his associate behind him. Wolf, more amusing than ever, was currently feasting on a bag of potato chips.

"Food," the assassin blurted out in response.

"No preparations?" Fox insisted. "Really?"

"The fuck do you expect?" Wolf asked. "We got the fucking Bloodhound, Two-Hands and myself. If anyone should be preparing, it's you, my annoying little friend." The two women couldn't help but chuckle at that mixture of compliment and insult. That seemed to shut Fox up.

"You sure about his tomorrow?" Caxton asked, loading and assembling an array of assault rifles, pistols and grenade launchers that belonged to both Lagoon Company and the American soldier himself. It was strange that Caxton was here, ready to defend Roanapur. He had no interest in doing so, nor did he live here. But there were many who had been dragged into this conflict against their will. The soldier considered himself a friend of Garcia. If the Lovelace boy wanted him here, he saw fit to oblige.

"As sure as ever," Dutch answered, lighting up a cigarette.

"My people will be ready," Ulysses claimed.

"What did Chang tell you?"

"Said he'd have his own Triad on standby," Ulysses went on, referencing a phone call from earlier. The Triad's leader and Ulysses were collaborating, oddly enough. Their combined forces would be practically unstoppable. "Should we run into trouble, he'll give the call. Men and women will flood the area. Kill any unknowns."

"Let's hope we don't run into trouble, then," Caxton said. "I'd rather not kill this woman if it can be avoided." Though Dutch and Benny did not agree, Ulysses was not so sure.

"I understand," he said. "I share history with Lucille. Hope to talk to her, if I can. Explain myself. Explain the situation. She might surrender if she knows what she's up against."

"Or she might put a bullet in your face," Benny suggested.

"Let's hope she doesn't," Ulysses told him optimistically. "But I see your point. Will only talk if it is…safe. I'll see. For now, we should rest."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Descent

Wolf awoke early that morning, for the first time in a long time. He was not a morning person. But when a former British soldier threatens to kill you, it tends to interrupt your sleep. He dragged himself from bed and entered the living room. He expected to find it abandoned, only to be met with the sight of Roberta. She sat in the same spot as last night, the sniper rifle in her hand. She turned to face him as he buttoned his shirt and holstered his Desert Eagle.

"You been up all damn night?" he asked in shock. She just smiled back at him.

"Of course I have," she told him. "We cannot afford to be sloppy."

"Did ya sleep?"

"For about an hour." That would normally be troubling, assuming she might fall asleep at any moment during today's events. They needed her at her best. But it was Roberta. She had undoubtedly gone longer without sleep in the past.

"Goddamn," he breathed as he donned the rest of his ensemble. He was dreading going up against Lucille. He knew she would be an unbelievable challenge. Roberta could see it in his face, judging from her ponderous expression as she looked at his face.

"I would ask if you were nervous, but that much seems obvious."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried."

"You'd be foolish," she told him. "This woman, she was in the S.A.S. I'm told. That is not something to take lightly."

"Believe me, I'm not doing that. No way in hell I want to go up against her." Roberta set the sniper rifle down and studied him momentarily, curious about what was going on in his head.

"Do you dread facing her? Even more than Kane?" That answer was easy, Wolf thought.

"Heh. Kane was nothing compared to Lucille. I haven't seen her fight, but…well, I just know she doesn't go down easy. The fact that she's survived so long in Roanapur without having been caught. And Ulysses maintains she's the last person you want to piss off. So yeah, I'm shitting myself." Roberta did not blame him. From what she heard, Lucille was easily as proficient a killer as the Bloodhound had been in her prime. If the two were to face off, the outcome would by no means be set in stone. Today, they would truly understand the fury of Lucille. Revy emerged, then. She must have heard them talking. She was almost worse than Wolf for getting up in the morning. "Rise and SHINE!" the assassin screamed in her ear as he walked past her and went to the fridge. She immediately sent an elbow into his back, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Motherfucker!" she spat at him. "Fuck this. We could have gone after this slutbag after midday."

"You said it," Wolf agreed as he took a carton of orange juice from the fridge and drank it. "Still, might as well get it over with. I know you want a crack at Lucille."

"No shit, I want a crack at her," Revy greed, taking her Cutlasses in her hands and pointing them towards the window opposite, imagining Lucille stood there, vulnerable and unarmed. That was wishful thinking. "The second she steps into my sights, I'll gun her down. She'll be dead before she hits the ground."

"I'm sure," Roberta uttered quite scornfully.

"The fuck you say, Glasses?!" Revy growled immediately.

"Alright, easy, ladies," Wolf told them. "No blood on my floors, please. There was enough when I fucking bought the place."

"Relax, Wolfy. Bitch isn't worth it."

"Big talk, Revy, Do you care to follow through?"

"No, no, no," Wolf implored them, stepping between the two now foaming-at-the-mouth killers. "Just take it easy, my girlies. Go jack off or something, relieve the fucking stress."

"I didn't think she'd need to, ain't that right, Wolfy?" Revy snarled with a venomous smirk, referencing the last time Roberta had been here. Word had gotten around, it seemed, of the Bloodhound and the Wolf's interactions. Trying but failing to hide his blushing cheeks, Wolf made his way towards the bedrooms.

"Fucking savage as fuck," he told Revy. Once Rock was awake, they all gathered in the living room and prepared to leave. Rock's revelation that he would not be joining them almost sent Revy into an unstoppable fury.

"Rocky boy, don't do this," Wolf said to him. "You're making a big mistake, here."

"I've heard all I need to," Rock said. "This doesn't interest me. I have more important things to see to." His expression was cold but not entirely certain. Fox showed himself, then, never failing to step to Rock's aid.

"You're really going to let us do this alone?" Wolf asked. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hit Rock or shoot him.

"I've made my mind up," the Japanese man confirmed after a moment of silence.

"You heard the man," Fox piped up as he placed a hand on the assassin's shoulder. Wolf immediately whipped around and sent a backhand into Fox's face.

"Get the _fuck_ up off me. Cunt."

"Whoa, easy, now," Fox muttered, resting his hand on his gun. "Not very friendly, are we?"

"I'm friendly, bro," Wolf told him. "I'm as friendly as a fuckless fuck on a free-fuck day. But if you lay your hand on me one more time, I will have to shove it up your ass and use it to move your mouth like you're a fucking puppet." Fox stepped back, then, more amused than intimidated. Wolf turned around, facing Rock in one last attempt to convince him to lend his aid to their effort. "Rock…buddy, come on. After everything you've been through with these people, everything you've been through with _me…_ you're really not going to help us? You're just going to let this happen to you?" Rock looked away, seemingly struggling with this choice he was making. It took him a few tense moments before he looked the assassin dead in the eye.

"I have business to attend to," he told them before leaving the apartment. Fox raised his eyebrows.

"Well, Mister Fuckless Fuck, looks like your little Rock is his own man, now. Deal with it." As he left too, Wolf started to go after him only for Roberta to catch the collar of his jacket and stop him. That exchange wasn't so much about getting Rock's aid as it was trying to save him from the darkness. It didn't look like he was coming back. The old Rock, the Rock they knew…he was dead. And they hated that.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: A Grave of Sinners, a Font of Death

Though it had only been fifteen minutes since the others had left for Lucille's warehouse, Rock had put it out of his mind and returned to his own apartment. That might not have been the smartest idea but Rock reasoned that Lucille and her people would not be there, at least not once they found out where they made their home was being attacked at that very moment. It was unsurprising to find it empty, completely devoid of all activity. Only Mister Fox and two bodyguards accompanied him, the silent sentinels waiting outside by the door. Rock did not much care if they got killed. They were expendable, after all. Replaceable at a moment's notice. While those he once might have considered companions or even friends were out fighting their war, he had other matters to attend to. Abrego and his cartel were the first to agree to a meeting with Rock. He planned to put his plan into action today, one that would offer profit and influence in the city's criminal underworld. It was a very risky move but one that would cement him as one of the most significant crime bosses in the city if he was successful. He fully intended to go through with it. It was a no-brainer, as far as he was concerned. Why, then, did he find himself so distracted? His mind was muddled and troubled. He had spent so long building up to this, working towards becoming something more than Lagoon Company's bullied and underappreciated lackey. He thought he wanted this more than anything. Even when he had intentionally temporarily adopted the ruthless mentality in the past to do some good, it gave him a taste of what he could be. And he liked it. But now, amidst this rift in his conscious, he could not help but feel…incomplete. It was like being betrayed but by himself. A part of him, a small infinitesimal fragment, longed for the old way of things to resume. It hated this lifestyle, what he had become. He did his best to suppress it. It was like he had been telling himself, the old Rock was dead and buried. Or so he longed to believe. Mister Fox must have noticed something was awry.

"This deal should put you one step closer to becoming a major player in Roanapur's politics," he said, like the devil on Rock's shoulder. "I've never met this Abrego but I hear he has a temper."

"All the cartel leaders do," Rock told him jokingly. "It's hard to tell them apart some days." Fox chuckled heartily.

"I'm sure it is. I'm not a big fan of the cartels, they're either sleazy or overtly aggressive. Neither trait is indicative of endurance in the criminal world. It's a wonder they've survived this long, I must say." All was silent for several moments. "You are going to go through with this, aren't you?" Rock froze as he took in the reality of what his colleague had just said. While he was not afraid of Fox, he did not want to seem weak or cowardly before him either.

"Am I making the right choice?" he asked. "Lucille poses a threat to all of us. Not just the Triad and Hotel Moscow. If she wins, she'll be after me next."

"Rock, if this deal goes ahead, you won't need to worry about her. You'll have the cartels' balls in the palm of your hand. They won't be able to fend for themselves and naturally, they will look to you for aid. That will force them into a position where they will have to protect you. And, hey, if Chang and Balalaika are killed, that just means the city's leadership is up for grabs. It will put you right on the throne, the King of Crime, my boy. You can't tell me any of this sounds bad. Lucille is a dead woman no matter how this skirmish with her today plays out." That last part was both tempting and disturbing. He would effectively be given leave to take charge and run the city, but two major organisations would fall, leaving Roanapur very vulnerable, however briefly. That also reminded him that all who accompanied the city's leaders to the warehouse would die. Wolf, the ruthless assassin and peculiarly kind soul who had always been fond of Rock. Dutch, the commanding, assertive leader of Lagoon Company who had always been accommodating of Rock's needs. And Revy…the one person who Rock shared such a strong and alien bond with. The memory of how distant he had been when she visited him that time stung his heart. He secretly hated himself for how he had acted.

"When is Abrego expecting me?" Rock asked, removing his trench coat and draping it over his arm.

"In an hour," Fox told him. "He told us to meet him in the market. A bit public for my liking, but who am I to complain? He'll probably be writing my pay cheques soon."

"Cancel it," Rock said impulsively, much to Fox's disapproval.

"You're making a mistake," he said seriously.

"I can meet the cartels any time," Rock retorted. "I'm just…not ready."

"If you aren't ready now, you won't ever be. The Rock I've been working for was ready for such an opportunity. But the man I'm looking at now…he's not cut out for this." Rock swallowed hard as the realisation swept over him and a sickness festered in his stomach.

"Maybe I'm not," he admitted, falling into his chair and shakily reaching for a cigarette. Fox sighed and took a seat on the windowsill.

"Then…what are your orders?" he asked, sure he knew what Rock would say next. "I'm disappointed I won't get to witness the rise of a crime lord after all. But I am still employed by you. For the next nine months. So what is your command?" Rock did not answer for several minutes, instead opting to smoke in silence. He needed time to think this over. Sweat was forming where his hair and forehead separated. His friends could well be in untold danger right now. He had the power to act. The unnamed private security division that Major Landis and Mister Fox commanded were as neutral as possible, outright refusing to involve themselves in the city's conflicts unless they were directly affected. Under Rock's command, however, that was a different story. He could really use them for good. He could make one last attempt to save his soul.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Last Day On Earth

Three cars drove out towards the isolated warehouse that morning. The first contained Lagoon Company, minus Rock, of course. Revy insisted on being the first one inside, eager to kill these soldiers. There were no complaints about that. The second held the Lovelaces, Caxton and Wolf. It seemed dangerous to bring the children along, but they would not leave Roberta's side. As long as they stayed in the car and out of everyone else's way, they could do as they pleased. The third car was for Chang, Balalaika and Ulysses. The Formation's leader was getting along surprisingly well with Roanapur's leaders, considering he had never met them before. He was like them in many ways, of course, seeing as he was a wealthy, dangerous crime lord in charge of an expansive criminal syndicate that had ties in multiple countries. It was entirely possible that, given enough time, he would come to rule alongside Hotel Moscow and the Triad. They were nearing the warehouse, now. It had been ten minutes since they left the security of Roanapur. None of the third car's occupants' subordinates were present. If they needed backup, they would have to make a call. It may have been foolish under other circumstances, but they considered Revy, Wolf and Roberta manpower enough to take out four people. Lucille would be a challenge, of course, but one they were sure would be much more vulnerable against Roanapur's three deadliest killers. The warehouse came into sight shortly. Revy took her Cutlasses in her hands and made sure they were ready to fire. She was itching for a fight. It had been too long since she went up against somebody who was an actual threat. Truthfully, the last individual who had actually been a worthy opponent was probably Ginji, the Yakuza samurai from Japan. That had been one hell of a fight. Revy had no doubt these soldiers would be plenty tough. Delta Force and the S.A.S. sounded like they meant business. This would be a day she would never forget. All she wanted now was to spill their blood.

"Why are you slowing down, Dutch?" she asked, irritated at the sudden change in pace.

"Damn truck in the way," he answered. Indeed, a truck with a carriage container had come to a stop in front of them. They would have just overtaken it if it weren't for the car with a flat tire on the other side of the road. They would have to wait for this truck to move, much to Revy's chagrin.

"Asshole isn't even moving anymore," Benny grumbled. "There aren't traffic lights out here, are there?" They were all silent for a moment as Revy's eyes went to the car on the other side of the road. There was no driver. That car had been placed there intentionally.

"Dutch, fucking drive!"

"Off-road?!" he asked. "There are damn rocks in the way."

"FUCKING DRIVE!" Revy screamed. The doors of the carriage container flew open then, revealing Lucille and her three henchmen. They all exited, the three soldiers holding the cars' residents at gunpoint. Lucille had three brutish-looking Rottweilers on the end of a leash. They were barking furiously, eager to tear into whatever they could get their teeth around.

"Come on out," Lucille ordered them. Left with no alternative, they complied. She led them to the left, off-road. They were finally ordered to come to a halt about halfway between the road and the warehouse. "On your knees. All of you." Hesitantly, they dropped down, anticipating what was to come. Revy just hoped one of the city's leaders or Ulysses had managed to briefly make a call for reinforcements. Otherwise, this would be a bloodbath. "I wasn't sure if you'd come at all," Lucille went on, handing the dogs to the well-groomed man beside her and pacing up and down the line of people before her. "I assumed you'd be watching. Wondered how long it would take. But I had eyes in the city. Once it became apparent you would be coming to kill me, I took precautions. You all can't have been under the impression it would be that easy, surely." With a flick of her wrist, one of the two men behind them came forward and took their weapons. Revy was resistant at first before the man sent his knee into the back of her head, knocking her into the dust face-first.

"Fucking cocksucker!" she screeched as she rose and sent her fist towards his face. Even with the burlap sack of guns in one hand, he used the other to block her attack and slap her back to the ground.

"I wouldn't try that again, Rebecca," Lucille warned, brokering surprised expressions from the rest. Lucille had clearly done her homework on the people she would be going up against. "You're a fiery one, aren't you? Does your temper decide everything for you?"

"Bite me, bitch!" Revy spat. Lucille just raised an eyebrow amusedly.

"Charming," she replied sarcastically. She walked further down the line and came to a stop before Caxton. "You're not someone I recognise. Not from this city, I take it. What's your name?"

"Major Shane Caxton," he told her. That took her by surprise, evidently. It certainly resonated with her that she was face to face with another military figure. "United States Military. You are Lucille. The girl from the S.A.S.?"

"I am," she told him. "I'm sorry you got caught up in this, Major. There's been enough death here without adding to it."

"I agree," he told her. "I hope you will not let your hatred of the criminal underworld force your hand to add to the body count. The situation is not as simple as it seems." Lucille considered him for a moment.

"I understand," she told him. "I do not wish to shed more unnecessary blood. But I must do this, Major. Do not misunderstand me…I only stand for justice. One of my own served your country for many years before he was put under my command." Caxton turned to face Killian, who saluted respectfully.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this shit, Major," he said. Caxton nodded sullenly.

"It's alright, son. Glad to have met you before this all went to hell." Lucille closed her eyes and breathed deeply before continuing down the line. She stopped before Chang and Balalaika.

"The two of you are lucky to be alive at all," she told them. "Mister Chang. Your Triad has caused nothing but heartache for years. Your death should serve to remedy that."

"With all due respect, you're crazy," he told her. "Quite the display you've put on, though. I'm impressed." She ignored him.

"And Balalaika. Still living in the glory days of Soviet Russia, are we? The world has changed a lot since then, I'm afraid. It seems the past has finally caught up with you here today." Hotel Moscow's leader smirked in response. "And, of course, we have Ulysses. You can't imagine how long I've been waiting for this moment. Let's start with you, shall we?" She raised her gun and placed it firmly between the man's eyes. "You survived a shot to the head once before, what are the chances it will happen again?"

"If I die, so be it," Ulysses told her. "Spill my blood across the dirt and ash of this city you seek to burn. But will it be worth it?"

"I think so, yes," she told him. "Anything to say before I get on with this? Only three of you absolutely need to die, after all."

"One last thing, then," Ulysses said. "Before you commit me to the grave. I killed your brother. That is no secret. I take it you understand he was not what you thought he was." Lucille faltered for a moment, though her finger was pressing down dangerously against the trigger of her gun.

"I…do," she answered. "I believed the Wolf when he told me what Anthony was. A member of Wolf Pack. But you did kill him."

"Was he a good man?" Ulysses asked. Lucille's eyes widened as she debated killing him there and then to silence him.

"Of course he was!" she spat. Ulysses smiled, truly unafraid of dying.

"Many of the people before you are good people. They are criminals, yes. Like young Anthony. With families and relationships. Is it justice to make others go through what I made you endure when I killed your brother?" Lucille was viciously close to shooting him. She wanted to…thought it would be easy. "If anyone must die, execute me," Ulysses went on. "And spare these others who have nothing to do with our conflict. Do not make them…collateral damage." Lucille kept her gun where it was, though she looked far less certain of herself now. She hated Ulysses. His organisation, his operations…she wanted nothing more than to end them all. But she could not argue with him. She reached into her pocket with her free hand and produced the black rose from Anthony's grave. Coping with his death had been torture. She did not want to put anyone else through that, despite their criminal lifestyle. This would not be an easy decision to make. She held her gun firmly in her hand. A shot was fired.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Ain't That a Kick in the Head

Lucille dropped her gun as an intense pain spread through her arm. Blood was leaking from the fresh bullet hole in her right tricep. Immediately looking to the right, she spotted five armed men in suits, accompanied by a sixth in a suede jacket and fedora. He was the one who had shot her.

"I hate to break up this little soiree, but Rokoro Okajima sends his regards," he told her before letting off a second shot. She dropped to the ground just in time to dodge it, stuffing the rose back into her pocket, retrieving her gun and starting towards the warehouse. From that point, the following scene was utter carnage. Rock's people and Godswrath had it out while Revy grabbed the now abandoned burlap sack full of weapons and reacquired her Cutlasses. The others retrieved their own weapons and joined the suited men and Fox. Despite the fact that Godswrath were outgunned and outmanned, they still managed to kill three of the five private security agents and seriously wound Chang. The shot that tore through his stomach effectively downed him for the rest of the fight. Revy came close to biting the bullet once or twice but managed to survive long enough to gun down the American, Killian. The Rottweilers were a menace as they tore relentlessly at the flesh of the fighters. The bloodbath went on for several minutes before the last dog was killed by Dutch. Wolf unsheathed his blade and sliced it into the throat of an unaware Cobb, killing him. Had the former S.A.S. soldier seen the attack coming, Wolf would more than likely not be alive right now. As they all composed themselves, the remaining member of Godswrath, Harry, managed to slip away. He hopped into one of the cars and took off towards Roanapur. Noticing this far too late, Dutch, Ulysses, Balalaika and Chang all headed to the second car, claiming they would pursue him. They could not afford to let him get away, knowing the damage he could cause. Caxton, Roberta, Garcia ad Fabiola remained as they kept watch. Lucille may well have had reinforcements of her own on the way, though it seemed unlikely. A downtrodden Caxton retrieved dog tags that the deceased Killian still wore, something which effectively soured his mood. It hurt him deeply that any of these soldiers had to die. Wolf and Revy went to the warehouse. The injured Lucille had more than likely gone inside to bandage her arm. She would be an easy target. As they approached, Revy extended her arm and stopped the assassin.

"Keep watch out here," she told him, opening the door and walking inside.

"Excuse me? I'm coming in there."

"No," she told him, set in her ways as she gripped her Cutlasses firmly and hungered for Lucille's blood. "You're not." She was confident he would not follow. If he did, she would put a round in his leg. As she ventured deeper into the warehouse, she spotted Lucille, her own gun at the ready.

"I've done my research," she called as Revy approached. "Two-Hands…the Lagoon Company's gunslinger. You've gotten around. As has your legend."

"Funny, can't say I heard shit about you before you came to Roanapur." Lucille smirked.

"If that was supposed to insult me, try again. Discretion is a compliment to me. But that's not all I know about you. You grew up in New York, didn't you?"

"The fuck is it to you?!" Revy asked, her hands twitching.

"I know what happened to you. Working in an organisation like the S.A.S., having friends in the business of information…you have access to intel others could only dream of. I know what you've been through. Chinatown can be an unforgiving place, especially when corrupt cops are everywhere." Revy pulled her mouth back in a vicious growl as she took a shot at Lucille. The Captain of Godswrath was far too quick, letting off a shot of her own. The two bullets collided in the air with a metallic thud and a flash of sparks. "I'm not trying to irritate you, Rebecca. Just…understand you. You're strong, stronger than most. And I admire you for it. It just saddens me that one of us must meet our end here today."

"Shut your whore mouth!" Revy screeched as she opened fire. Lucille, too, reciprocated. The two gunwomen sped around the room in a circular formation, avoiding the shots that were sent their way. It was a sight to behold as the warehouse was riddled with bullet holes and pieces of the very walls came apart and split into fragments. Revy was determined to kill this woman, but she saw the same bloodlust in her opponent's eyes. It was faint, but there. As much as Lucille claimed to stand for justice and the elimination of evil, there was untapped potential in her, potential for carnage. That villainous display outside was tell-tale enough. The firefight was brutal, lasting much longer than either of them suspected. As Revy landed a shot at Lucille's shoulder, she took one in the leg. That forced her to hop over a stack of wooden pallets and take cover.

"Admit it, Rebecca, you can't come out on top here," Lucille taunted her. "We'll be here for hours and by the end, you won't have enough energy to keep going. Then…I will kill you."

"Easy, now," came Wolf's voice as the assassin showed himself. Revy peeked out from behind cover, furious as his intervention. He had entered the warehouse from behind Lucille, surprising her. Then why hadn't he taken the shot? "Don't do anything rash."

"That was bold of you," Lucille told him, turning her back on the room to face him. "I assumed you'd shoot me."

"It's like you said outside, no need for more bloodshed, right?" Lucille smiled.

"Didn't think you of all people would agree."

"You don't have to do this," Wolf implored her. "You too, Revy. We can all lay down our guns and go back out there. Nothing has happened yet. Nobody needs to die." Lucille, having had her gun trained on the assassin up until now, lowered it.

"You're not as bad as people say, you know that?" Revy immediately popped up from cover and planted a bullet in the back of Lucille's head, sending her to the ground in a flurry of blood. The look on Wolf's face was a mix of fury and shock. He was pissed. Revy held her guns tightly in case this did not end well.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Tears for the Fallen

"Thought you were going to shoot me back there," Revy said to the assassin as they made their way back to Roanapur. The others were likely already there, having left earlier.

"So did I," Wolf admitted. "But that would have been stupid. No need for it."

"You distracted her," Revy went on. "I took my chance. Like anyone else would have."

"I know." They sat in silence for the rest of the trip home, coming to a stop outside Rock's apartment. "I don't even know if he's home. Should we even bother being here?"

"Fuck…I don't know," Revy groaned as she propped her feet up on the dashboard. "Didn't think the little weasel would actually send his people to help us." Wolf exited the car impulsively and went to knock on the door. He heard movement inside, alright. Rock was home, then. A few moments later, the door opened.

"Oh! You're back," Rock spluttered. "I was just about to head over to the apartment and see if everyone was alright. Is…everyone okay?"

"Miraculously," Wolf told him. "Look, I know-"

"Don't," Rock told him gently. "You don't have to explain yourself. You did nothing wrong. _I'm_ sorry. For everything. The least I could do was send Fox to help you guys." Wolf smiled and patted Rock on the shoulder. He couldn't be more satisfied with Rock's attitude. "Is she going to be okay?" Revy was quietly stewing in the passenger seat, refusing to even look at Rock.

"She's pretty pissed," the assassin warned. "But she'll come around. Just give her time." They both entered the car and took off towards Lagoon Company's apartment in an awkward silence. Only Chang and Balalaika were not present, likely having other matters to attend to now that Godswrath was dealt with.

"Rock," Dutch said as he noticed them enter. "That was some dodgy shit you pulled out there."

"Just glad I sent those guys when I did," he told them. A doctor emerged from the other room, then, blood on his jacket.

"What's the word?" Ulysses asked. The doctor was one of Chang's, having healed the Triad's leader not an hour ago.

"She's alive," he said. "She's incredibly lucky. This sort of thing is extremely rare."

"I know," Ulysses answered, feeling the faint scar above his eyebrow. The doctor left without another word.

"What happened with that other soldier?" Wolf asked. Harry had made it into Roanapur, as far as he knew. What damage he may or may not have done was unknown.

"Balalaika killed him," Dutch answered. "She caught him trying to sneak into her office with plastic explosives. Was probably going to blow that place to hell first chance he got."

"Damn," Wolf breathed. Lucille was lucky to be alive indeed. It was ironic that she now bore the same injury as the man she had hunted for so long. She would be unreasonably upset at the loss of her squad. But they would deal with that when she awoke. If Balalaika knew Lucille had survived, she would immediately order her death. Chang was doing them a favour by keeping it to himself. The rest of the apartment's occupants left the room, leaving only Benny, Rock, Wolf and Roberta.

"You really scared us there for a while," Benny said, visibly happy to have Rock back.

"I did, huh?" Rock asked, nervously scratching the back of his head. Benny warmly shook hands with him.

"Good to have you back, partner," he said. It felt good, even for Wolf, to see Rock return to normal. He was luckier than Lucille to survive the darkness that had effectively taken him over. It threatened to destroy him. Now that he was back, it would take a hell of a lot to corrupt him again. This journey had been important for him. He would not forget it. Suggestions of going to the Yellowflag were floated that night. It was almost a given that they would indeed be getting wildly shitfaced tonight. This whole ordeal had been one hell of a ride. They needed a drink and fast. It was an odd sight, to see them all enjoying themselves without worrying about the next big threat to Roanapur's safety. This last year had been a storm, but one they were refreshingly sure was now over. The city was safe, and that was something they never thought would happen.

"What are you going to do now, Rock?" asked Wolf quietly so the rest would not hear. "Fox still works for you, doesn't he?"

"I hadn't thought about it," he said, truthfully. "It feels wrong to keep them around. I might transfer their service to the Triad. I'm sure Chang wouldn't say no to nine months' worth of free manpower. He certainly has more use for them than me now."

"That's not a bad plan," Wolf agreed as he knocked back his drink. "It's good to distance yourself from them. They served you well…but if you keep them around, they'll just remind you of what you became. How close you came to the edge."

"That's what I was thinking." Wolf patted him on the shoulder before rising. The Japanese man grabbed his arm briefly. "Thanks, Wolf. For not throwing me to the wolves." Wolf stared at him for a moment. "Pun…not intended." The assassin laughed.

"No problem." He went to the end of the bar, then. To Revy, who was once again drinking alone.

"If you came to talk to me about that fucker you can walk away," she told him.

"You have to talk to him," he told her.

"I don't have to do shit."

"Okay. But you should. He's back, Revy. That's a hell of a thing. Whatever it was that pissed you off when he left…you have another chance to make the most of this. He might not be here at all right now. Don't let the stick up your ass ruin your relationship with him."

"You know, sometimes I don't know whether to shoot you or kiss you." Wolf smirked, hiding the fact that he was faintly blushing by taking another drink.

"Guess that's the kind of man I am. You want a quiet drink, an awkward chat or an angry fuck, give me a call." Revy tittered as she drank her rum.

"I'll remember that."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Hunt's Over

"You're moving up in the world," Wolf said as he admired Ulysses's new penthouse apartment. It had a stunning view of the city. His guards, too, were present for his protection.

"Indeed," he answered. "Thought I'd stay here. Can't exactly leave, given the circumstances." That was true enough. A week ago, he had just been another crime lord that helped topple Godswrath. Now, he had the bulk of his organisation in the city and he assisted Hotel Moscow and the Triad with the reestablishment and control of the criminal underworld. He had become a major player. Nobody would say it aloud, but Roanapur now had three rulers. Ulysses's relationship with Chang and Balalaika was a blossoming one. He was a powerful and cooperative ally, one who would be indispensable during a conflict.

"So Hong Kong boy and Fry-Face are okay with you basically sitting your ass on their turf?"

"It's technically my turf now," he said proudly. "Our relationship is based on respect and cooperation. My presence here might have ended in war had I not built a rapport with the city's leaders first. They tolerate my presence here because I effectively possess the same power and influence as them. We are equally in control of this city and its cartels." Wolf whistled, impressed. Ulysses was indeed a force to be reckoned with, and probably the only person to peacefully force his way into the criminal underworld. Even Balalaika ended up in a shootout with Chang when Hotel Moscow first showed up in Roanapur. "You will see Lucille, I take it?" Wolf nodded.

"I'm making my way around," he said. "It's not every day this shit happens. Roanapur has seen an insane amount of shit this year. For the first time, it feels…peaceful. I think the Formation is going to do great things here. I'm glad this shitstorm is over." Ulysses smiled before stepping forward and extending his hand.

"It's been an honour fighting by your side," he said as the assassin took his hand firmly and shook it. "And tell Lucille I hope to see her, to…clear the air."

"I will," Wolf promised. "I'm sure she'll want to talk. She's been through a lot. Take care of yourself, Ulysses." With that, he left the apartment and headed down to the café. Lucille was to meet him here. She showed up a few minutes later, wearing her usual outfit minus the beret. She took a seat.

"Wasn't sure you'd come," she began. "I'm surprised I haven't been assassinated yet. Thought Hotel Moscow might have hired you for the job."

"I wouldn't have accepted," Wolf told her. "You're a bit below my pay grade." Lucille couldn't help but laugh at that. "How's your head?"

"Still hurts, actually," she said. "I've never been shot in the head before. I have awful headaches. I wonder if Ulysses felt this."

"You could ask him," the assassin suggested. "He wants to speak to you." Lucille's expression turned quite forlorn.

"I know," she said. "A part of me wants to talk to him, too. Another part wants to kick him in the nuts. But I need to see him one last time." Wolf nodded. He understood her trepidation. Naturally, this was hard for her, especially considering she had lost all of her squad. It would take time, but eventually she would speak with Ulysses.

"What will you do now? Roanapur is a shithole, I can't imagine you're eager to stay." Lucille looked around her uncertainly.

"I actually think I'll stay," she said. "I'm effectively a fugitive, having gone AWOL and all. Looks like I'm a criminal. I'm one of you, now."

"Welcome to the family," Wolf mocked. "What time are you doing the burn?" Lucille cared deeply about her fallen comrades. Their bodies would be burned tonight on a hill outside of town. Wolf intended to go. It was the least he could do. Whether the rest would accompany him was uncertain.

"Nine, I think," she told him. "You don't have to be there."

"I intend to be," he told her warmly before giving her a wink and leaving. Surprisingly, all who were present outside the warehouse minus Chang and Balalaika turned up, though Revy's presence was certainly against her will. The bodies of her comrades were placed on a handmade funeral pyre that she had constructed herself. Caxton seemed as though he was rather moved by this display. It easily reminded him of his own fallen comrades, bringing a brief tear to his eye. Lucille doused the end of a stick in gasoline and lit it alight.

"I know some of you were hesitant to come here," she said, her gaze falling on Revy for a split-second, "but thank you all the same. This isn't much, but…it's something. I was sorry to lose these men. They were the best of us." Turning towards the pyre, she dropped the stick and watched it go up in flames. They could all feel the immense heat from the flames as the bodies crackled and roasted.

"What will you do, Mister Wolf?" Fabiola asked suddenly as the fire raged on, reducing much of the pyre to ashes.

"I hadn't thought about it," he admitted "I might stay here for a while. Figure out my life."

"You are welcome to accompany us back to Venezuela," Garcia told him. "After what you have done for my family, there is always a place for you in my home." That was actually quite touching. It was incredible how sweet this boy was. It warmed Wolf's heart to hear such generosity.

"We would be honoured to have you," Roberta told him with a smile. He reciprocated, placing one arm around her and another on Garcia's shoulder.

"I'm honoured, Garcia. Thank you." Rock still held his trench coat in his arms. Examining it for a few seconds, he stepped forward and threw it onto the pyre, watching it burn. That was an emotional moment for Lagoon Company, the moment Rock truly returned to being a part of them. Revy rested her arm on his shoulder as they watched the flames burn on.

"You fucking pussy," she said with a roguish smile. "I knew you'd be back. Just took those soldiers to knock some sense into you." Rock smiled, glad that Revy was more or less treating him the same once more.

"Thanks, Revy," he told her.

"For what?"

"For being there for me." Though that surprised her, she quickly shrugged it off, despite how glad it made her to hear him say that.

"You got it, White-Collar." The inferno raged on for minutes as the wood and flesh became ash, sifting down through the pyre to become one with the ground. Caxton saluted as the bodies burned more and more, becoming unrecognisable. It was a moving gesture.

"Roanapur's had a good run," Wolf said aloud to all of them.

"Good?" Dutch asked, a smile spreading across his face. "What about the last year was good for you?"

"Alright, you got me there," he laughed.

"It's been one hell of a ride, though," Benny said.

"Fucking A," Revy concurred.

"Then let's be glad it's over," Ulysses told them. "Roanapur still needs help. Let's give it our best shot."


End file.
